Dim Amor

Between 2016-2017, in the depths of the oncology departments of the government Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, one of the most serious medical scandals in the country's history was exposed. No fewer than 5,400 cancer patients were treated with drugs that directly harmed them: expired drugs, drugs that did not comply with mandatory medical protocols, drugs bearing forged batch numbers, and even opened drugs that were combined with used medications. This was determined in a court ruling that took effect on June 15, 2025.

The numbers paint a shocking picture: by 2020, when the class action lawsuit was filed, only 2,700 of the 5,400 patients treated in those years had survived. 2,700 people died – some of them, apparently and among other reasons, due to the poisoning treatment given to them at a medical institution that was supposed to save their lives.

The scandal, which was hidden for years from the knowledge of the public and the patients themselves, raises difficult questions about the Israeli healthcare system, about supervision, and about the criminal responsibility of those who were supposed to ensure patient safety. An investigation conducted by "Maakav" reveals a systematic pattern of information concealment, evasion of responsibility, and hiding the truth from the public – even today, years after the scandal was exposed.

On June 15, 2025, a court ruling based on a settlement agreement signed on December 4, 2024, took effect. The legal significance of the agreement is clear: Rambam Hospital did not object to the claims raised against it and thereby effectively admitted to committing the entire set of serious offenses.

According to the court ruling, the government hospital committed the following offenses: use of drugs for cancer patients that do not meet medical protocols, use of expired drugs, use of drugs with forged batch numbers, combining opened drugs with used medications, violation of informed consent and patient autonomy, violation of the fundamental right to life and dignity, unjust enrichment, negligence, and breach of fiduciary duties.

The agreement was signed by attorneys Eitan Tzur and Anat Shtreman on behalf of the Haifa District Attorney's Office. The state, through the government hospital, agreed to pay compensation of 16.2 million shekels – and at the same time, the prosecutor's office closed the criminal case without filing an indictment against anyone.

After submitting a response on behalf of the state through attorneys Einat Shtreman, Eitan Tzur, and Eran Reznik from the Haifa District Attorney's Office-Civil, the parties were referred to mediation before retired judge Benjamin Arnon. The lengthy mediation process ultimately led to the settlement agreement that spares the hospital a public trial that could have exposed additional embarrassing details.

The Meager Compensation: 4,000 Shekels for Poisoning, 2,000 Shekels for Death

The distribution of compensation in the settlement agreement reveals the inconceivable cynicism of the system. The first group – patients who were alive when the scandal was published on February 5, 2020 – will receive 4,000 shekels per person. According to medical center data, this group numbers approximately 2,700 patients. This is compensation for deliberate poisoning, for physical and mental suffering, for damage to the most basic trust a person has in the healthcare system.

The second group – those who died before the scandal was published – their families will receive through a fund for managing and distributing money only 2,000 shekels. According to medical center data, this group also numbers approximately 2,700 patients. 2,000 shekels for a human life. 2,000 shekels for the loss of a father, mother, son, or daughter. This amount is nothing but an insult to the memory of the deceased and the pain of their families.

Simultaneously, 13 class action plaintiffs will receive compensation of 130,000 shekels plus VAT, and seven law firms will share legal fees of 1.5 million shekels plus VAT. Thus, while the affected patients receive crumbs, the lawyers receive generous compensation for their work.

"Maakav" Investigation: Systematic Concealment of Truth

On the "About" page of Rambam Hospital's official website, there is no mention of the court ruling, the treatment with expired drugs given to cancer patients, or the health damage caused to patients as a result. There is no information that the Haifa District Court ordered the hospital to pay financial compensation exceeding 16 million NIS.

On August 19, 2025, the court ruling was updated in the Wikipedia entry relating to the scandal, and the text of the court ruling was even sent to Wikipedia's editorial team, but by August 20, 2025, the information was deleted from the entry.

Furthermore, a comprehensive investigation conducted by the "Maakav" editorial team reveals the continuation of the hospital management's concealment policy even after the court ruling was issued. The investigation focused on how the hospital treats foreign patients and the official information provided to them.

An interview with Rambam's medical tourism representative revealed complete ignorance about the scandal. When asked about the 2025 court ruling and the fact that the hospital allegedly poisoned cancer patients between 2016-2017, she replied: "God forbid, the hospital doesn't poison patients and I'm not familiar with the court ruling, I recommend you speak with the legal department".

When asked why medical tourists are not provided information about the 2025 court ruling, the representative's answer was: "I have no information, speak with the legal department".

When the medical tourism representative was asked why there is no information in Russian about the hospital giving patients expired drugs in 2016-2017 and causing serious harm, and why this information doesn't appear in Hebrew either, her answer was uniform: referral to the legal department.

The Legal Department: Evasion and Rejections

Attempts to contact the legal department encountered a wall of evasion. Department personnel refused to speak with "Maakav" editorial team, claiming that only the spokesperson's office and public inquiries department are authorized to provide information to journalists. Thus, an endless circle of referrals was created, aimed at preventing the provision of real information.

Therefore, the "Maakav" editorial team approached the office of Dr. Adv. Talia Barman Kishoni, director of service quality and public inquiries. When her office was asked why the hospital doesn't publish on its website, and in foreign languages, information about the administration of expired drugs in 2016-2017, which caused serious harm and led to the deaths of 2,700 people, and why this information is absent from content intended for medical tourists, the answer was given: "Everyone who is alive – we sent them the court ruling and letters".

When an additional question was directed to the office representative – what about the deceased, and why no information about the court ruling and its implications has been published on the hospital website to this day, including in foreign languages for medical tourists – it was reported that the matter should be referred to Adv. Tal Asaf Moshkowitz, who is responsible for the matter.

• Adv. Tal Asaf Moshkowitz: Persistent Silence

Adv. Tal Asaf Moshkowitz, head of the medical claims management, quality control, and patient safety division, did not respond to "Maakav" inquiries when she understood who the inquirers were.

Her choice not to answer journalists conducting an investigation speaks for itself and testifies to the institutional policy of information concealment.

According to the legal department, "the story with the court ruling is not yet over" – despite the fact that no appeal was filed and the court ruling took effect. This answer raises questions about the hospital's intentions and its attempts to continue evading responsibility.

The Prosecutor's Office: Case Closure Without Explanation

Police sources expressed surprise last year at the prosecutor's office decision to close the criminal case against Rambam in August 2023. The sources noted that the prosecutor's office did not notify the police of its intention to close the investigation file and did not consult with the investigation team.

The sources noted that they are surprised by the decision, especially in light of the investigation materials in the file showing that the hospital management was aware in real-time of what was happening. Despite the serious testimony collected, including from senior managers at Rambam, the prosecutor's office chose to close the criminal case without filing an indictment against anyone.

Adv. Eitan Tzur: Outstanding Employee

The irony was searing: precisely during the Rambam scandal period, on March 13, 2017, Adv. Eitan Tzur – who later signed the settlement agreement on behalf of the prosecutor's office – was awarded the "Outstanding Employee" prize by the Ministry of Justice.

At that time, the ministry published a congratulatory announcement: "Meet Adv. Eitan Tzur, who won the outstanding employee award. Eitan, 46, lives in Kibbutz Afek and serves as head of torts at the Haifa District Attorney's Office (Civil). From the selection reasoning: managing the torts field with professionalism and dedicated work that led to impressive achievements. In recent years, he has coordinated complex cases and saved resources, such as the lawsuit filed following the Carmel fire. Eitan is a leader and constitutes a professional authority in the field of torts also on a national scale. Well done!".

The same lawyer who received appreciation and praise for his professionalism was the one who years later signed the settlement agreement that ended the Rambam scandal – an agreement that granted meager compensation to victims without anyone bearing criminal responsibility.

While Adv. Tzur celebrated winning the "outstanding employee" award, many cancer patients were buried that year, who died following deficient and poisoning treatments, expired drugs, and other serious failures. Cemeteries filled with bodies, while the "outstanding employee" remained an outstanding employee, and the criminal prosecutor's office closed the case.

Adv. Eitan Tzur, from the civil prosecutor's office, did not see fit to grant victims appropriate compensation. According to Adv. Hani Tanus, representatives of the civil prosecutor's office acted in every possible way to minimize the scope of compensation and pay victims the minimum possible.

Concealment of Information from Foreign Citizens

One of the most outrageous aspects of the scandal is the treatment of foreign citizens who were harmed. Rambam treats over 1,300 foreign patients annually. The distribution of citizens by country is as follows: Russian citizens – 73.4%, Ukrainian citizens – 14.8%, Kazakhstani citizens – 4.3%, Azerbaijani citizens – 1.5%, Belarusian citizens – 0.8%, U.S. citizens – 0.8%, Moldovan citizens – 0.6%.

In 2016-2017, when the scandal occurred, the numbers were even higher due to the better economic situation before the Russia-Ukraine war. However, the court ruling mentions nothing about foreign country residents, and they received no compensation.

Countries like Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Belarus, the United States, and Moldova also did not try to deal with the matter and had no claims against the State of Israel for poisoning their citizens in the hospital. Following "Maakav's" inquiry, the Ukrainian and Russian embassies are now examining the issue.

In an interview with a medical tourism employee, it was reported that Rambam Hospital is a "good hospital", but no information was provided about the 2025 court ruling and the fact that the hospital poisoned cancer patients between 2016-2017 and there is compensation of 16 million shekels. The fact that medical tourism employees are unaware of the scandal testifies to a deliberate policy of information concealment.

• According to information published on the hospital website, approximately 1,500 foreign patients are received annually. However, no numerical breakdown was provided between cancer patients and other patients, and it was not published how many of them actually received treatment with expired drugs.

Medical Tourists Left Out of the Picture

The question of how it can be determined that medical tourists received no compensation at all is answered from the language of the court ruling itself: the court ruled a total amount of 16.2 million shekels. Of this, 2,700 Israeli citizens who survived treatment at the hospital received 4,000 shekels each – a cumulative amount of 10.8 million shekels.

It was further determined that families of 2,700 deceased patients will receive 2,000 shekels per family, totaling 5.4 million shekels.

The calculation is simple: the entire amount – 16.2 million shekels – was directed exclusively to Israeli citizens. Hence the obvious conclusion: medical tourists, who were among the victims, received no compensation whatsoever.

From the law firms that represented the plaintiffs, it was reported that their representation was provided only to Israelis, and that the issue of medical tourists was not raised for discussion at all. In practice, tourists had no representation – neither from foreign embassies nor through law firms.

International Responsibility and Concealment of Information from Medical Tourists

The Rambam scandal is not limited to the severe damage caused to Israeli citizens alone. One of the most difficult and disturbing aspects of the scandal is the harm to foreign citizens who came to Israel as part of medical tourism and who were apparently exposed to treatments performed with expired drugs.

These patients paid large sums for treatment, trusting the reputation of Israeli medicine, which is considered advanced, reliable, and safe. However, the hospital did not bother to warn them, published nothing about the court ruling or settlement agreement – neither in a foreign language nor even in Hebrew. No trace of the scandal can be found on Rambam's official website either, so the information remains hidden both from medical tourists and from the entire Israeli public.

The concealment policy does not stop at official documents alone. Even Wikipedia entries in which the Maakav editorial team sought to add substantial information about the scandal were deleted or changed in a way that obscured the facts. Thus, a distorted public reality was built in which the hospital continues to present itself as a center of medical excellence, while its most recent history is stained with a scandal of systematic poisoning.

This phenomenon raises weighty questions: Is the State of Israel obligated to provide foreign patients with the same level of protection and transparency granted to its citizens? Is there an obligation to notify foreign countries when their citizens are harmed by medical negligence in Israel? And doesn't the continued marketing of medical services to overseas customers while concealing such serious information constitute deliberate fraud?

The scandal carries real potential for a crisis in Israel's foreign relations. If and when the truth is fully exposed, countries like Russia and Ukraine may demand explanations and perhaps even take legal or diplomatic steps. Israel's silence on this matter could be perceived in the international arena not only as negligence but as a deliberate attempt to conceal a medical crime committed against foreign citizens.

The Rambam scandal thus constitutes a principled test. As long as an independent investigation committee is not established, indictments are not filed against those responsible, and comprehensive reform is not implemented in supervision, transparency, and public accountability mechanisms – it will not be possible to restore public trust, neither in Israel nor among the international community.

Settlement Agreement as Scandal Cover-up

The settlement agreement in the class action lawsuit refers only to patients from 2016-2017, even though from dozens of testimonies collected by the police – including testimonies from senior managers at Rambam Hospital – it clearly emerges that the use of expired drugs, drugs that were not stored as required, or were not used in accordance with accepted rules, continued for a much longer period. These drugs posed a health hazard and their use was prohibited, but despite this, they were given to patients for many years.

From the arrangement, it emerges that the total number of patients who were harmed due to the use of improper drugs amounts to tens of thousands of patients, throughout the entire long period during which the use of disqualified drugs became a known routine at Rambam Hospital.

The fact that the agreement is limited to only two years raises serious suspicion that this is an attempt to minimize the financial and legal exposure of the hospital and the State of Israel, and not a real exposure of the full scope of the negligence.

The Ministry of Health is obligated to immediately establish a professional and independent investigation committee into the serious scandal and to act with all its might to expose the truth about what happened within the walls of Rambam Hospital – with the full knowledge of the hospital management and its heads – as emerges from the police investigation files.

The very existence of the settlement agreement proves the claim of sources that the hospital and Ministry of Health have been acting for years in every way and by every means to silence the scandal, which is among the most serious since the establishment of the state. This scandal was hidden from the public and from the patients themselves until its exposure in the media, and it is a direct continuation of the policy within which the hospital and Ministry of Health prevented the establishment of a professional investigation committee in accordance with the Patient Rights Law.

The Dangerous Message: It's Apparently Possible to Poison and Escape

The Rambam scandal sends a serious message that could not be more serious: apparently, it's possible to poison thousands of patients in a government medical institution – without a single person bearing personal responsibility. The financial compensation awarded is meager, and it's paid from the state treasury, that is – from taxpayer money, some of whom were even among the victims themselves.

Rambam Hospital continues to operate as usual, the same managers who were responsible for patient safety during the crisis years continue to serve in their positions, and the system that prepared the ground for the scandal continues to exist without substantial change. The culture of concealment and hiding, which enabled the scandal to occur in the first place, continues to operate even now – as emerges from the "Maakav" investigation.

Another worrying fact is that the hospital continues to absorb medical tourists from abroad without informing them about the scandal, thereby continuing the patterns of concealment. As long as a professional and independent investigation committee is not established, as long as indictments are not filed against those directly responsible, and as long as substantial changes are not made in supervision and control mechanisms – the public cannot be confident that a similar scandal will not recur.

The price of the scandal is not measured only in money or even human lives. The most severe damage is the collapse of the most basic trust that citizens have in the healthcare system: the trust that institutions intended to heal – will not cause harm. The Rambam scandal proved that this trust was violated in the most serious way, and the path to restoring it is still long.

It's important to mention a recurring figure: the state will bear payment exceeding 16 million shekels due to negligence – from public funds. To this must be added the costs of legal representation and expert opinions, estimated at additional millions of shekels. Accurate data has not yet been provided, and we are waiting for an official response from the Ministry of Health.

Exclusive Interview with Adv. Hani Tanus: "Rambam Poisoned People"

The Maakav editorial team conducted a special interview with Adv. Hani Tanus, who served as one of the lawyers representing the victims of the Rambam scandal in court. During the conversation, he did not hesitate to state sharply: "Rambam poisoned people."

Adv. Tanus emphasized that approximately 2,700 people died in this scandal. According to him, the court ordered the hospital to pay compensation by October 2025, but currently, he has no accurate information about how much money was paid and how much has not yet been transferred to the families of victims and living victims.

Question: According to the court ruling, victims' families receive 2,000 NIS, while surviving victims receive 4,000 NIS. How is it possible that simultaneously, lawyers in the case received amounts exceeding 1.5 million NIS?

Adv. Tanus: "We invested enormous capital in professional expert opinions. Throughout the entire period, we worked for free, and there were many lawyers in the case. We provided the court with one expert opinion – and Rambam responded with ten different expert opinions, all publicly funded. In fact, Rambam wanted to pay each person only 50 NIS, and the court itself was inclined to pay zero. We managed to achieve this result. We indeed demanded legal fees of about 3 million NIS, but in practice, we received much less".

Adv. Tanus adds that even the hospital's representatives admitted during the proceedings that patients were given expired drugs. "If so," we asked, "why was the criminal case closed?".

His answer: "They poisoned people – and the police closed the case. The police actually helped Rambam, and the court joined in. You need to understand the magnitude of things: this is a government hospital, a body belonging to the state, and the state has an interest in closing ranks. Everyone helps each other – at the public's expense".

Adv. Tanus describes managing the case as a difficult struggle against a powerful system. "We fought to the end, but the police closed the case. Why? Because Rambam is a state institution. The hospital has enormous power".

In conclusion, he admits that in his view, this is a partial failure: "The state should have paid much more. Ultimately, the total compensation stands at only 16.2 million NIS – an amount that does not reflect the magnitude of the damage, but that's what was ruled".

Apparently, partly due to our inquiry, the hospital chose to publish an official notice:

In accordance with sections 18(c) and 25(a)(3) of the "Class Action Law, 5766-2006" (hereinafter: "the Law"), it is hereby brought to the public's attention that on 4.12.24, a settlement arrangement was submitted for approval to the Haifa District Court (before the Honorable Judge Eyal Baumgart) in the application for approval of the class action lawsuits in the title (hereinafter, respectively – "approval applications" and "settlement arrangement").

Main Proceedings

At the foundation of the approval applications that were consolidated into one application stands the applicants' claim that the respondents used expired drugs for treating oncological patients who received medical treatment at Rambam Hospital in 2016-2017.

The respondents submitted a response to the approval application and denied what was claimed in the approval application. Among other things, it was claimed that the application does not meet the conditions of item 1 of the Second Schedule to the Class Action Law.

Without admitting to the applicants' claims, without this act constituting a precedent and/or admission of their obligation to do so, for settlement purposes only, and for the purpose of final, complete, and absolute settlement of all claims raised within the framework of the lawsuit – the respondents agreed to act as stated in the settlement arrangement.

Main Points of the Settlement Arrangement

"Members of the represented group" – every cancer patient who was treated with oncological drugs in 2016-2017 at the medical center (hereinafter: "the patients"), according to the following division:

a. Every patient who was alive at the time of the scandal's publication (5.2.2020) (hereinafter: "the first group"). According to data held by the medical center – the first group numbers approximately 2,700 patients.

b. Every patient who died before the scandal's publication date (5.2.2020) (hereinafter: "the second group"). According to data held by the medical center – the second group numbers approximately 2,700 patients.

Compensation for Members of the Represented Group

The respondents will pay final compensation in a total amount of 16,200,000 ₪ (hereinafter: "compensation amount"), subject to and in accordance with the details below:

Each member of the first group will be paid a total of 4,000 ₪.

Additionally, for members of the first group who did not withdraw from the group and did not apply to realize their right to compensation until the date defined below in section 14 (90 days from the date of sending notice to the group member) – the compensation amount for them will be added to all members of the first group who applied to realize their right, in equal distribution.

For members of the second group who did not withdraw – the compensation amount, minus the total amount that will actually be paid to members of the first group, will be transferred to a fund for managing and distributing money awarded as relief, as defined in section 27a of the Class Action Law (hereinafter: "the Fund"). The Fund will designate, on behalf of the families of members of the second group, the aforementioned amount for oncological treatment not included in the drug basket, at its discretion.

Compensation and Legal Fees

The Honorable Court is required to approve compensation for the 13 applicants in the amount of 130,000 ₪ plus VAT; and attorney fees for the applicants' representatives (7 law firms) in a total amount of 1,500,000 ₪ plus VAT.

Court Ruling – Approval of Settlement Arrangement

The court determined in its ruling of 15.6.2025 that the settlement arrangement is worthy, fair, and reasonable considering the interests of group members, and that ending the proceedings with a settlement is the efficient and fair way to resolve the dispute.

In light of the court's full approval of the settlement arrangement, a court judgment, waiver, and final and absolute settlement of group members was automatically formed regarding all matters of the application for approval of the class action lawsuit and the lawsuit against the respondent and/or its agents and/or its employees and/or anyone on its behalf.

It shall be clarified that the court judgment applies to all causes of action, demands, claims, and remedies that are the subject of the lawsuit and approval application.

Clarifications

The above is only a summary of the settlement arrangement and the judgment of 15.6.2025. The full text of the settlement arrangement is binding. In any case of contradiction between the provisions of the settlement arrangement and what is stated in this notice – the provisions in the settlement arrangement and the judgment of the Honorable Court will be determined.

Reviewing the Arrangement

The settlement arrangement is available for review: at the secretariat of the Haifa District Court, on the Rambam Medical Center website, or by advance coordination at the offices of the applicant's representative: Adv. Matan Freidin, 16 Bar Kochba Street, Bnei Brak. Email: [email protected]

The embassies of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Belarus, the United States, and Moldova have not yet provided a response. The foreign ministries of Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Belarus, the United States, and Moldova have also not responded so far. On the other hand, the Ukrainian and Russian embassies reported that they have begun examinations on the matter. The Israel Police, State Comptroller, and Ministry of Health also did not respond. Similarly, the State Attorney's Office – Criminal Division, as well as the Attorney General, did not provide a response.

Additional documents, evidence, and facts are found in the original Hebrew version. It should be noted that this article constitutes a translation from the original version, published in Hebrew on the "Maakav" website.

Update 22.08.2025:

The Israel Police stated:

“Dear Sir/Madam,

For a response to your inquiry, please contact the State Attorney’s Office.

Sincerely,
Israel Police Spokesperson’s Unit.”

A police source reiterated: “We conducted a thorough investigation, uncovered serious findings, and even recommended filing an indictment – yet the prosecution chose to close the case. The official police version even hints at this.”