Senior Gynecologist Convicted of Sexual Assault in Landmark Ruling

Tel Aviv District Court on Tuesday convicted Prof. Menachem Alkalai, a senior gynecologist, of 10 counts of rape by deception involving nine female patients. The youngest patient was 23 and the oldest 66 when the acts occurred. The judges, Yaron Levy, Ilan Tzur and Tamar Sanot-Furor, said the case showed “a sad picture of women who came for treatment and left harmed.”

According to the verdict, Alkalai used his position during examinations and treatments to sexually assault the women while making it appear the contact was part of legitimate medical care. The court found that he massaged the clitoris of nine complainants while his fingers were inside their vaginas, and that in some cases he told them he was touching the area to test vaginal contraction or to calm them.

Alkalai denied intentionally touching the clitoris and argued that any contact was an unavoidable anatomical consequence of the examination position. He also claimed the women misunderstood a medical procedure after the fact. The court rejected those arguments, calling his claim that the patients could not identify where he touched them “patronizing, condescending, outrageous and insulting.” The judges gave full weight to the women’s detailed and credible testimonies and said Alkalai’s version was evasive and manipulative.

The court wrote that the abuse was a cynical and blatant exploitation of the complete trust placed in him as a doctor, and said his conduct was plainly criminal, not a borderline medical issue. Based on expert testimony, it found no medical link between his actions and any legitimate procedure. The judges also said the trauma was so severe that some women avoided gynecological exams for years, leading in some cases to medical harm, including surgery and ovary removal.

In addition to the conviction, the court urged the Health Ministry to consider a policy requiring a third-party companion during gynecological examinations, saying it could create a safer and more respectful environment, reduce fear and discomfort, protect patients from abuse, and also protect doctors from false accusations. Sentencing is still to come.