Title: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Discharged from Hospital After Dehydration Scare
Subtitle: Netanyahu Fitted With Heart Monitoring Device for Routine Observation
Date: Sun 16 Jul 2023 15.17 BST
Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was released from the hospital today following tests that showed no irregularities with his heart. The 73-year-old leader had been admitted overnight for observation due to symptoms of dehydration.
Netanyahu was taken to a hospital near his private residence in Caesarea on Saturday afternoon after complaining of dizziness. Although dehydration was initially diagnosed, further heart monitoring tests were conducted to ensure his health wasn’t compromised.
In a video statement from the hospital, Netanyahu expressed good spirits and recounted spending a day at the Sea of Galilee without proper hydration or protection from the sun. Israel is currently experiencing a summer heatwave.
Confirming the original diagnosis of dehydration, Sheba Medical Centre stated that Netanyahu’s heart was in “excellent condition.” As a precautionary measure, a heart monitoring device has been implanted for routine monitoring.
Due to the prime minister’s hospital visit, the weekly cabinet meeting scheduled for Sunday was postponed until Monday.
Netanyahu has generally been considered in good health, with a previous hospital admission during the election campaign in October last year due to feeling unwell during Yom Kippur prayers.
In 2010, an annual health report on the prime minister’s well-being was mandated, but Netanyahu’s staff has not released such reports since 2016.
Returning to office in December, Netanyahu leads a coalition of far-right and ultra-religious parties. The coalition’s plans to overhaul the judicial system have faced strong opposition and triggered criticism from international allies, including the US.
The proposed changes aim to address what supporters perceive as a left-wing bias in the supreme court’s decisions. Critics, however, fear that the overhaul may lead to democratic backsliding and lend support to Netanyahu’s fight against graft charges, which he denies.
Israel is currently bracing itself for a busy period before the Knesset recess, with ministers pushing to pass significant reforms before the end of the month. The government’s controversial overhaul has sparked protests, strikes, and economic challenges for the country.
Shortly after leaving the hospital, Netanyahu expelled a prominent member of his Likud party over Holocaust-related comments. Ethnical tensions between Ashkenazi and Mizrahi Jews have further escalated amid the ongoing political and constitutional crisis.
Coinciding with Netanyahu’s political challenges, a Palestinian gunman wounded three Israelis, including two girls, in a shooting attack in the occupied West Bank. The suspect fled the scene but was later apprehended by Israeli Defense Forces.
In addition to the political turmoil, Israel and the West Bank are witnessing the bloodiest year since the end of the second intifada in 2005. Over 150 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in 2023, while 26 people have lost their lives in Palestinian attacks against Israelis, according to rights groups.
The health scare faced by Benjamin Netanyahu adds to the complex landscape of Israeli politics, further intensifying the ongoing tensions within the nation.
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