Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will undergo surgery on Sunday to have his prostate removed.
Last Wednesday, Netanyahu, 75, underwent an examination at Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem, during which a urinary tract infection caused by a benign prostate enlargement was identified.
He has since been treated with antibiotics, effectively resolving the infection. The premier is scheduled to undergo a procedure to remove his prostate.
The statement added that Sunday’s weekly Cabinet meeting will first take place as planned.
The Jerusalem District Court agreed to a request filed by Netanyahu’s attorney Amit Hadad on Sunday to postpone this week’s three hearings in his corruption trial, where the prime minister was set to testify. Proceedings will resume on Jan. 6, the court said, expressing its wish for Netanyahu to have refuah shlema (“a good recovery”).
The request for postponement was made because the procedure will be performed under full anesthesia and likely require several days of recovery.
Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Yariv Levin wished Netanyahu “a speedy recovery and good health” on his Telegram channel. Shas Party leader Aryeh Deri expressed similar sentiments on X, adding that “the people of Israel need a strong Bibi!”
On March 31, Netanyahu underwent successful hernia surgery at Hadassah Medical Center.
On Dec. 31, 2023, following routine annual checkups by his medical team, Netanyahu received a clean bill of health after undergoing an emergency cardiac procedure earlier in the year.
“During the past year, [the prime minister] underwent annual routine examinations without any unusual findings,” said a letter signed by Netanyahu’s personal physician, Dr. Tzvi Berkovitz, and Professor Alon Pikarsky, head of surgery at Hadassah Medical Center.
“The prime minister maintains a healthy lifestyle and a proper diet. The state of his health is completely normal,” added the physicians.
A separate note from Sheba Medical Center at Tel HaShomer in Ramat Gan touched upon the condition of Netanyahu’s heart, noting that the premier was outfitted with a cardiac pacemaker several months earlier.
“The pacemaker implanted in his body is working properly, the electrical indicators are within the norm, he is not dependent on the pacemaker, and no unusual incidents have been recorded,” wrote Professor Roy Beinart, director of Sheba’s Arrhythmia Institute.
“From a cardiac point of view, the prime minister is completely stable and does not need additional treatment besides routine monitoring,” said Beinart.
