Israeli Doubts About Netanyahu’s Health Spark Fears of a Leadership Vacuum

Rumors continue to swirl about the health of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following an urgent surgical procedure he underwent a few days ago, prompting Israeli experts and doctors to petition the Supreme Court for the release of a comprehensive and transparent medical report on his condition.

Haidee Negev, a journalist at Yedioth Ahronoth, confirmed that “immediately after the news broadcasts ended, the Prime Minister’s office tersely announced that Netanyahu had undergone prostate surgery. Given that he is already over 75 years old, this has led Israelis to openly discuss his health condition. However, the problem, as everyone admits, is that they know nothing about it.”

His office continuously refrains from releasing a comprehensive and updated report on his condition, leaving Israelis without information about the cognitive, physical, and mental state of their leader, who makes crucial decisions about their lives.

In an article translated by Arabi21, Negev added that “U.S. President Joe Biden has already withdrawn his candidacy for the presidential elections due to declining health, yet we do not expect similar behavior from Netanyahu, who has proven over the years that his position and chair are what matter most to him, regardless of his legal status or how poor his health conditions may be.”

She pointed out that “the problem facing Israelis in this matter is that they lack information about the health of their government’s leader, a condition only fitting for the most backward countries. Netanyahu has limited discussions about his health to his close friend, the head of the medical unit, Dr. Tzvika Berkovitch, who in December 2023 announced that the Prime Minister is under strict and routine medical surveillance with no unusual results, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and diet, and that his implanted pacemaker is functioning properly.”

Despite there being no details on why the pacemaker was installed in the first place, an unusual procedure, the recent announcement of the prostate removal surgery lacks a comprehensive medical explanation, raising serious and real questions about Netanyahu’s health condition, especially since the basic law does not deal with the nature of medical care discussions for the Prime Minister, reminding Israelis of the stroke suffered by then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in 2006, which lasted several years.

Negev added that “the opacity surrounding Netanyahu’s health in routine and emergency situations is contrary to normal conditions in any regular country, where the public has the right to know, and in other countries, it is routine. In the United States, officials are required to provide a public report, ranging from financial statements to their medical condition, and a semi-annual report is published on the White House website reviewing the Vice President’s medical history, including detailed test results from blood pressure to vision and allergies, and even the dietary supplements they take.”

She concluded by saying, “The rumors surrounding Netanyahu’s medical problems will not stop, and are not related to questions about the dietary supplements he takes, but rather the risk of creating a governmental vacuum that threatens the entire state of Israel.”