(IntegrityTimes.com) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu underwent surgery on March 31 to repair a hernia that was discovered during a routine doctor’s visit the day before. Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem’s director of general surgery, Alon Pikarsky, said in an April 1 video announcement that Netanyahu’s surgery went “as expected and successfully,” and that he was fully conscious and visiting with family members. He temporarily designated power to Israel’s Deputy Prime Minister, Yariv Levi, while he was anesthetized for the procedure. Levi also serves as the country’s Minister of Justice.
Netanyahu held a press conference shortly before the surgery, where he expressed his optimism about the procedure. He promised to return to his duties “very soon,” according to MSNBC’s translation of his remarks. This is the second procedure that Netanyahu has undergone in less than a year. Last July, he was diagnosed with a long-term heart condition that required the implantation of a pacemaker.
Netanyahu has led Israel’s response to the October 2023 Hamas terrorist attack. When he declared war, he vowed to fight until the group was completely eradicated. Netanyahu’s decisions have been called into question by some groups. Most recently, protestors gathered in Jerusalem to demand Netanyahu call a cease-fire so that hostages could be freed. Additionally, the protestors wanted Israel to hold its next elections early, which is a reiteration of New York Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer’s recent controversial rhetoric.
The protestors claimed that Netanyahu was making decisions to benefit himself and accused him of hurting the country’s relationship with the United States. Netanyahu commented on the protestors’ demands for early elections just before his surgery, telling the press that such a decision would “paralyze the negotiations for the release of our hostages” He added that the country’s retaliatory goals would not be met if the war was to end early, and that only Hamas would be happy about holding early elections.
On March 25, Netanyahu canceled a scheduled Israeli delegation trip to the United States after the United States abstained from a resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza at the United Nations Security Council. Following the cancelation, the United States claimed that it was working with the Israeli government to reschedule the trip.
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