Health Ministry suspends for 6 months license of top doctor accused of sexual assault

Reporter at The Times of Israel

Prof. Arie Levine, suspected of multiple sexual offenses, appears at the Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court on October 4, 2021. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)
Prof. Arie Levine, suspected of multiple sexual offenses, appears at the Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court on October 4, 2021. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

The Health Ministry announces that the license of Prof. Arie Levine, 67, a pediatric gastroenterologist accused of multiple sexual offenses, including the rape of a girl under the age of 14, will be suspended for six months, the maximum period allowed by law.

Levine served as the director of the Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition Unit at Holon’s Wolfson Medical Center until recently. He also practices at a private clinic.

At the time of his arrest in 2021, he denied wrongdoing, and the defense argued that his actions were necessary for the medical treatment he was giving.

An anonymous senior police source cited by the Haaretz daily said experts had given professional opinions on the matter and contradicted the claim by the defense.

The ministry can suspend or restrict the license of a doctor who has not yet been convicted for a period up to six months, and at the end of this period, its extension can be considered.

The ministry says it takes with utmost seriousness any harm to patients and has a zero-tolerance policy on issues related to sexual harassment.

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