Tel Aviv court convicts senior gynecologist of raping nine patients by deception

The Tel Aviv District Court on Monday convicted Prof. Menachem Alkalai, a senior gynecologist, of 10 counts of rape by fraud involving nine different women he treated. The court rejected his claim that the contact was part of medical care and said he had “exploited in a cynical and blatant way the full trust placed in him.”

According to the indictment, Alkalai used his medical authority to carry out sexual acts during routine examinations. Prosecutors said he created a sophisticated false impression that what he was doing was a legitimate medical protocol, and some complainants said he told them the touching was needed for treatment. Alkalai denied the allegations, saying the contact was only an “anatomical necessity” during the exams, and argued the women later interpreted the events as criminal because of discomfort with invasive procedures and previous media exposure.

The judges dismissed his version entirely. Citing expert opinions from Israel and abroad, they said there was no connection between his actions and any proper medical procedure. The court found he had made a deliberate and extreme deviation from protocol and that the conduct was “clearly in the criminal sphere.”

The bench emphasized the credibility of the nine complainants, ages 23 to 66, and described how Alkalai exploited the exposed and vulnerable setting of the examination room to satisfy his urges. “The totality of the testimony paints a bleak picture of women who sought medical treatment and came out harmed in their bodies, their dignity and their trust,” the ruling said. The judges also sharply criticized the defense arguments, calling them “paternalistic, condescending and outrageous.”

Testimony in the case showed the depth of the trauma, with some women avoiding necessary medical exams for years afterward, in some cases causing harm that required surgery. Given the severity of the case, the court recommended that the Health Ministry create a new policy requiring a third person to be present during gynecological examinations to help ensure safety and reduce opportunities for abuse or misunderstanding.