The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, will undergo a prostate removal surgery on Sunday, after being diagnosed with urinary tract infection.
The procedure comes at a critical timing for the Israeli Prime Minister, as he faces multiple crises on the home front, including the ongoing war in Gaza and his corruption trial, according to the Associated Press (AP).
Netanyahu’s Health Condition
On Wednesday, Netanyahu was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection linked to a benign enlargement of prostate, according to the Prime Minister’s office. He received treatment for the infection but will undergo the procedure to remove his prostate.
Netanyahu, 75 years old, has long portrayed himself as a healthy energetic leader. His office has worked hard to boost this image, by publishing footages of him checking war zones in full protective gear or meeting defense officials in windy hilltops wearing dark shades and buffer jackets.
However, Israel’s Prime Minister faced several health conditions that he could not hide. In March, when he underwent a hernia surgery, while in July 2023, he faced a heart condition and doctors implanted a pacemaker to regulate his heartbeat.
Image Shattered
The recent health issues have shattered Netanyahu’s public image. During his corruption trial, the Prime Minister boasted about working 18 hours a day. Due to his health condition, Netanyahu’s lawyer, Amit Hadad, send a letter to the court, saying that the Prime Minister would be fully sedated and hospitalized for a number of days. The lawyer asked the court to cancel Netanyahu’s three days of testimony for this week, and the court agreed.
As a result, an acting prime minister will assume Netanyahu’s responsibilities until he recovers, the AP quoted an official familiar with the matter, although he did not reveal the name of that person. When Netanyahu underwent the hernia surgery, his Justice Minister, Yariv Levin, served as acting prime minister.
Critical Time for Netanyahu
Netanyahu’s procedure comes at a time when he is facing a myriad of challenges at home and abroad. The war in Gaza has been dragging on for 14 months, causing severe human toll and stirring world anger. The war has sparked regional tensions, opening another front with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.
International mediation efforts have been ongoing to reach a ceasefire that ends the brutal fighting between Israel and Hamas and brings stability to the region. The war has so far claimed the lives of 45,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Moreover, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, accusing them of alleged war crimes over Israel’s war in Gaza. This has made them internationally wanted suspects.
Corruption Trial
Adding to his domestic troubles, Netanyahu is facing a long-running corruption trial that involves 3 separate cases related to fraud, breach of trust, and bribery. In early December, the Israeli Prime Minister took the witness stand for the first time, making him the first sitting Israeli Prime Minister to take the stand as a criminal defendant.
The first case involves promoting regulation worth around $500mn to Bezeq Telecom Israel, in exchange of providing positive coverage of Netanyahu through the company’s news website.
The second case includes accepting gifts, worth $200,000, from a Hollywood producer and a billionaire. In return, Netanyahu would help in promoting their business interests.
The third case involves negotiating a deal with an Israeli publisher to provide a positive coverage of the Prime Minister in return for a legislation that would weaken a rival newspaper.
