An Israeli court has sentenced four officials to prison sentences for their part in the collapse of a bridge during the 1997 Maccabiah Games, known as the Jewish Olympics.

Four Australian athletes were killed, and more than 70 people injured, when the footbridge to the stadium near Tel Aviv buckled during the opening ceremony, spilling the Australian delegation into the polluted Yarkon River.

Two athletes died immediately, and two later from infections caused by toxins.

But the father of one of injured athletes has described the sentences as too light.

'Disgrace'

The engineer who designed the bridge, Micha Bar-Ilan, was sentenced to 21 months in jail and three contractors received shorter sentences.

The games chairman, Yoram Eyal, accepted overall responsibility and was ordered to do six months community service.

Israeli prosecutors said they hoped the jail terms would send a message to construction professionals in Israel that they must ensure public safety.

But the father of swimmer Sasha Elterman, 18, who ingested a poison fungus from the river, described the verdict as "an absolute disgrace".

Boycott urged

He said that in Australia the minimum sentence for those found guilty of causing death through negligence would have been four years in jail.

Ms Elterman, who has dual Australian and American nationality, has undergone more than 30 operations and is still seriously ill.

Her father, Colin Elterman, has led a public campaign to force the organisers of the games to accept responsibility for the tragedy.

He called on Jewish athletes and the tens of thousands of visitors that attend the games, to boycott the event, which is held every four years.

Survivors of the incident, many of whom have since suffered illnesses caused by toxins in the water, are suing the organisers of the games, which attracts Jewish athletes from around the world.

Last August, Israel agreed to compensate Australian athletes injured in incident.

The finance ministry said the payment would be voluntary and would not imply responsibility.