Tel Aviv Court Convicts Gynecologist Menachem Alkalai of Raping Nine Patients

The Tel Aviv District Court on Tuesday convicted gynecologist Prof. Menachem Alkalai of 10 counts of rape by deception involving nine different female patients, the youngest 23 and the oldest 66 at the time. According to the indictment, he used medical examinations and treatments to carry out sexual acts, massaging each woman’s clitoris while inserting his fingers into the vagina, or into the vagina and anus together, while falsely presenting the contact as part of a legitimate gynecological protocol.

Some of the complainants testified that Alkalai even told them he intended to touch their clitoris to test vaginal contraction or to calm them. He denied intentionally massaging their clitorises, arguing that any contact was an unavoidable anatomical byproduct of the hand position used in the exam, and that the women later misread a clearly medical procedure as criminal because of the discomfort inherent in an invasive pelvic exam.

Prosecutors said the court gave full weight to the “credible and detailed” accounts of the nine women, who lived in different parts of Israel, were treated in different clinics over several years, did not know each other, and described similar abuse. The court rejected Alkalai’s claim that, because the women were not medical experts, they could not know the exact point of contact, calling that argument patronizing and insulting. It found beyond reasonable doubt that he knowingly departed from accepted protocol, acted without informed consent, and that expert testimony from Israel and abroad showed no medical connection between his prolonged clitoral rubbing and any legitimate procedure.

The judges said his conduct was not in a gray area, but squarely criminal, and recommended that the Health Ministry consider rules on having a third party present during gynecological exams to improve safety and reduce the risk of harm or false accusations. Prosecutors and lawyers representing some of the victims said the ruling sends a clear message that the boundary between medical care and sexual assault cannot be blurred. The women are now waiting for sentencing, which they hope will reflect the severity of the damage they suffered.