Hadassah Hospital Faces Allegations of Political Appointments and Sexual Misconduct

A new investigative report details allegations of political cronyism and serious misconduct at Jerusalem's Hadassah Hospital, a prestigious medical institution. The report claims that under the leadership of Board Chairwoman Dalia Itzik, the hospital has become a hub for political appointments, favoring associates of the Likud and Shas parties. This includes instances of "friend bringing friend" appointment methods, lavish trips abroad funded by the hospital, and accusations of sexual harassment and assault against a prominent surgeon.

Ariel Bar-On, son of former Elad city manager Gabi Biton Bar-On, is identified as a key figure in facilitating these political connections. Ariel Bar-On, who holds a senior position at Hadassah and is reportedly close to Shas leader Aryeh Deri, is accused of being the point person for expedited appointments and political maneuvering. His father, Gabi Biton Bar-On, was recently appointed as a municipal advisor to the Ministry of Interior, a position secured after a brief and contentious tenure as Elad's city manager.

The report highlights the case of Yifat Ben-Chagiv, a key witness in the Netanyahu corruption trial who changed her testimony, was appointed marketing deputy director at Hadassah shortly after. She allegedly brought Shlomo Filber, another state witness in the same trial, to the hospital. Avi Balashnikov, a former aide to Dalia Itzik, is also implicated, having organized an expensive trip to India for Israeli exporters, which included Itzik, Hadassah CEO Prof. Yoram Weiss, and Ariel Bar-On, with Hadassah bearing most of the costs.

Central to the report are severe allegations against Professor Alon Pikovsky, head of surgery at Hadassah and Prime Minister Netanyahu's personal physician, who is also a candidate for the hospital's CEO position. Multiple women have come forward with accusations of sexual harassment and exploitation of power dynamics. One doctor described an incident where Pikovsky allegedly initiated unwanted sexual advances after a late-night surgery. Another patient claims Pikovsky sexually assaulted her during a medical examination, an incident for which she filed a formal complaint, alleging the hospital protected the doctor.

Further testimonies describe Pikovsky's alleged disrespectful behavior towards female patients in the operating room and a serious professional error during surgery, where he allegedly abandoned the patient after making a mistake. Despite these accumulating allegations, Hadassah Hospital is reportedly considering appointing Pikovsky as its next CEO in January. Both Hadassah Hospital and Prof. Pikovsky have denied the allegations, calling them biased rumors and fabrications, respectively. The Ministry of Interior and Shas have also issued statements defending their appointees.