Netanyahu hernia operation successful, surgeon says

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is recovering following a successful hernia operation, doctors at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem in Jerusalem say following the late-night procedure.

“He is awake, recovering and speaking with his family,” says Prof. Alon Pikarsky, the hospital’s director of general surgery and the attending surgeon, in a short taped statement.

He says the operation went as planned.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the hernia was discovered during a routine checkup on Saturday evening. His office did not say where in the body the hernia had been discovered, although they are most common in the abdomen and hip areas.

Netanyahu, 74, underwent full anesthesia during the operation.

Justice Minister Yariv Levin, who also holds the role of deputy prime minister, filled Netanyahu’s role temporarily while he was conked out.