Netanyahu remains in hospital overnight, set to be released Sunday
PM undergoes examinations, reportedly at Sheba’s cardiology department; he apparently dehydrated following trip with his wife to Sea of Galilee; cabinet meeting delayed till Monday
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remained overnight Saturday-Sunday at Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan for observation, following his hospitalization earlier Saturday for apparent dehydration.
A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office Saturday evening said that at the recommendation of his doctors, Netanyahu would stay for medical observation, without further elaborating.
Several Hebrew media outlets reported Netanyahu was in the hospital’s cardiology department and had undergone tests in the room used for catheterization.
The Prime Minister’s Office also said that the weekly cabinet meeting scheduled for Sunday morning would be postponed until Monday.
On Sunday morning, Netanyahu’s office said the premier was expected to be released during the day, after he underwent medical examinations and his results were normal.
Meanwhile, pictures emerged of Netanyahu’s trip Friday to the Sea of Galilee where, the prime minister, said he had become dehydrated after visiting “without a hat, without water.” A joint statement from his office and Sheba Medical Center said he complained of dizziness after spending several hours in the sun amid an intense heatwave across the country.
The photos showed the premier seated on a boat alongside his wife Sara, who unlike him, was wearing a hat.
Earlier, Netanyahu said he was feeling “very good” in a video statement from Sheba Medical Center, where he was undergoing “further routine examination” after being brought to the emergency room.
תודה רבה לכולכם! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/idRD1xiqRx
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) July 15, 2023
The hospital said it assessed he was suffering from dehydration and “nothing untoward was found” in initial tests.
Netanyahu, 73, was brought to the hospital by convoy from his home in Caesarea, where he was spending the weekend. He was said to be fully conscious and walking without assistance.
His personal doctor, Tzvi Berkovitz, told Channel 12 news on Saturday afternoon that the prime minister’s condition was “good and stable,” adding he was undergoing examination.
According to the network, Netanyahu walked from his car to the emergency room. His wife Sara and son Avner were with him in the hospital. A little after 7 p.m. on Saturday, Avner was seen driving away from the hospital, in apparent good spirits.
The Haaretz and Walla Hebrew websites reported that Netanyahu had lost consciousness at home. Channel 12 said Sheba doctors did not confirm this, and it was not addressed in the prime minister’s video or in Sheba’s formal statement. Channel 12 said without confirmation that he had complained of chest pains.
Netanyahu has no formal deputy. In the past, when on trips abroad or when he has undergone brief scheduled medical procedures, Netanyahu has designated a ministerial colleague to temporarily fill in for him.
President Isaac Herzog, opposition leader Yair Lapid, and other politicians wished Netanyahu good health and a speedy recovery.
Netanyahu heads an unprecedentedly hardline Israeli coalition government, which has sparked more than six months of internal opposition over its plans to overhaul the judiciary. Legislation to block judicial scrutiny over the “reasonableness” of politicians’ decisions — the first overhaul bill to advance since Netanyahu temporarily froze the legislative blitz in late March — is scheduled to clear the committee stage in the coming week, and to be voted into law on or around July 23. The Knesset breaks for summer recess at the end of the month.
The planned overhaul has plunged his ties with the US into crisis, with President Joe Biden refusing to invite him to the White House, and publicly expressing concerns for the fate of Israeli democracy.
Netanyahu is also in the midst of a protracted corruption trial, having been charged with three counts of fraud and breach of trust and one of bribery. He denies all the allegations, and says he is the victim of a political witch hunt.
In October, Netanyahu was hospitalized at Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center after feeling unwell during Yom Kippur synagogue services. He was released the next morning after undergoing exams and remaining overnight for observation.
