Mideast Report

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Former Israeli Cabinet minister Yitzhak Mordechai was charged with sexually harassing and committing indecent acts on three women when he served as head of the Israel Defense Force's northern command, defense minister and transportation minister.

Mordechai, who maintains his innocence, agreed to the lifting of his parliamentary immunity to stand trial.

In 3-4 months, Israel may be out of water

JERUSALEM (JPS) -- Drinking water may cease to run from taps in three or four months' time, Environment Minister Dalia Itzik warned Monday.

Itzik spoke to reporters during a visit to Mekorot's seawater desalination plant in Eilat.

"...Within three or four months, and especially [next year], if there is a drought this winter... we [might]...have no water in the taps, or what there is will be undrinkable," said Itzik.

She pledged to press Finance Minister Avraham Shochat to approve plans to allow Mekorot to issue tenders for the country's first major sea water desalination plant.

Newly appointed Water Commissioner Shimon Tal said it was imperative to begin work as soon as possible on establishing a desalination unit, which would initially produce 50 million cubic meters of freshwater a year.

Maccabiah head told that he should resign

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- A special Israeli Knesset committee on the 1997 Maccabiah bridge collapse called for the resignation of the head of the World Maccabi Union.

An Israeli court recently gave jail sentences ranging from nine to 21 months to five people found guilty of negligence in the deaths of four Australian athletes and the injury of 69 others.

Israeli gay group challenges film ban

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Gay rights organizations in Israel are challenging a film board's decision not to allow anyone under 18 to see a coming-of-age film about a gay teen.

In a petition to the Supreme Court, the organizations maintain that the homosexual content of "Edge of 17" is the sole reason for the rating and that such limitations have not been imposed on other movies with more explicit heterosexual sex scenes.