Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu underwent a successful prostatectomy on Sunday, hospital officials said, an operation that comes as he grapples with multiple crises including the Gaza war and an alleged corruption trial.
Netanyahu, who has faced a series of health problems in recent years, has gone to great lengths to burnish his public image as a healthy, energetic leader. He said at his trial this month that he worked 18 hours a day and smoked cigars. But as Israel’s longest-serving leader, taking on such a heavy workload during his 17 years in office could damage his health.
At 75, Netanyahu is one of the world’s oldest leaders, Including U.S. President Joe Biden, 82; President-elect Donald Trump, 78; Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, 79; and Pope Francis, 88, They are all concerned because of their age and health problems.
Netanyahu’s latest condition is common among older men, but the surgery has also brought some effects. The judge overseeing his trial on Sunday accepted a request from his lawyers to cancel three days of testimony scheduled for this week. Lawyer Amit Hadad said Netanyahu would be fully anesthetized during the operation and hospitalized for “a few days.”
The Luzalem Hadassah Medical Center announced late Sunday that the operation was “successfully completed.” Attorney General Yariv Levin, a close ally of Netanyahu, is acting prime minister during the surgery. Netanyahu is expected to remain hospitalized for several days.
With so much at stake, Netanyahu’s health in time of war is a source of concern for Israelis and the world.
Period of regional instability
As Israel’s leader, Netanyahu is at the center of major global events that have transformed the Middle East. The situation in the Middle East has moved so fast over the past 14 months that even a few hours of immobility can be dangerous.
Netanyahu’s hospitalization comes as international mediators are pressing for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and as fighting intensifies between Israel and Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Prostate problems are common and, in many cases, easily treatable. But the operation tarnished Netanyahu’s dynamic image at a time when he was more eager than ever to project strength, both to an Israeli public under constant threat and to enemies seeking to expose Israel’s weaknesses.
Can recover quickly
According to Netanyahu’s office, the Israeli leader was diagnosed Wednesday with a urinary tract infection caused by a benign enlargement of the prostate gland. The infection was successfully cured with antibiotics, but doctors said surgery would be needed anyway.
Dr. Shay Golan, head of urologic oncology at Rabin Medical Center in Israel, told Israeli Army Radio that complications from an enlarged prostate are common among men in their 70s and 80s.
Golan said the surgery lasted about an hour and the recovery was quick. Except for the need to use a catheter one to three days after surgery, patients can return to normal activities without much restriction, he said.