Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is having his prostate removed on Sunday, his office said, a procedure that comes as he manages multiple crises at once, including the ongoing war in Gaza and his own trial for alleged corruption.
Netanyahu, 75, is among a cohort of older world leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden, 82, and president-elect Donald Trump, 78, whose health and physical fitness are under deep scrutiny both at home and abroad because of their advanced age and the effect that could have on their leadership.
The Israeli prime minister, who has had a string of health issues in recent years, has gone to great lengths to bolster a public image of himself as a healthy, energetic leader. During his trial this month, he boasted about working 18-hour days.
But as Israel’s longest-serving leader, such a gruelling workload over a total of 17 years in power could also take a toll.
Due to the prostrate procedure, Netanyahu’s lawyer, Amit Hadad, said in a letter to the court that the Israeli prime minister would be fully sedated and would be hospitalized for “a number of days,” asking that his three days of testimony this week be cancelled. The court agreed.
With so much at stake in the turbulent region, Netanyahu’s office said that Justice Minister Yariv Levin, a close ally, would serve as acting prime minister during the procedure.
According to Netanyahu’s office, the Israeli leader was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection on Wednesday stemming from a benign enlargement of his prostate. The infection was treated successfully with antibiotics, but the procedure on Sunday will remove his prostate, likely using endoscopic surgery, Dr. Shay Golan, head of the oncology urology service at Israel’s Rabin Medical Center, told Israeli Army Radio.
Netanyahu insists he is in excellent health, and his office has worked to craft a public image that backs that up — releasing footage of him touring war zones in full protective gear.
But he has had several health issues before, including a heart condition that led to a fainting spell and a pacemaker to control his heartbeat.
That news in July 2023 came at a time when Netanyahu was dealing with massive anti-government protests over a plan to overhaul the judicial system. Also last year, he was rushed to hospital for what doctors said was likely dehydration, where he stayed overnight, prompting his weekly cabinet meeting to be delayed.
Earlier this year, Netanyahu underwent hernia surgery, during which he was under full anesthesia and unconscious. At that time, Levin, his justice minister, served as acting prime minister during the operation.
Netanyahu will be in hospital at a time when international mediators are pushing Israel and Hamas to reach a ceasefire in Gaza as violence there rages on and fighting between Israel and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels intensifies.