Israel: Netanyahu discharged from hospital in good health
July 16, 2023
After a night in the hospital, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was discharged from the hospital on Sunday, a day after being admitted for dehydration.
The 73-year-old Netanyahu was taken on Saturday with dizziness to Sheba Hospital, near his private residence in coastal Caesarea.
Netanyahu's office said he had spent the day at the Sea of Galilee, a popular vacation spot in northern Israel where temperatures climbed to about 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) amid a stifling country-wide heat wave.
Israel's weekly Cabinet meeting, usually held on Sunday, was postponed to Monday, his office said.
Netanyahu is in 'excellent condition'
By late Sunday morning, Netanyahu had "completed a series of tests and is in excellent condition," said Amit Segev, Sheba's head of cardiology.
"Our diagnosis, at the end of all the tests performed, including the laboratory tests, is that the reason for the hospitalisation was dehydration," he said in a video statement.
As part of the cardiological tests, Sheba decided to use "a subcutaneous (implanted) Holter" on Netanyahu to "continue regular monitoring" of his heart, Segev said.
In a video statement on Saturday, a smiling Netanyahu said he had holidayed at the Sea of Galilee on Friday not wearing a hat and without water. "Not a good idea," he said.
A controversial leader
Netanyahu is Israel's longest-serving leader. He has served multiple terms stretching over 15 years in office. The premier is also standing trial for corruption charges, which he has denied.
His current far-right government, a collection of religious and ultranationalist parties, took office last December. Its proposed judicial overhaul has triggered weekly demonstrations since January.
In October, Netanyahu was hospitalised overnight after feeling ill while observing the Jewish fast of Yom Kippur.
dh/sms (AP, AFP, Reuters)