Israel to have acting prime minister for several days: Reason explained
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (photo: Getty Images)
For several days, Israel will be governed by an interim prime minister. This is due to the fact that the current head of government, Benjamin Netanyahu, will undergo surgery, according to The Times of Israel.
It is known that today, Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be under full anesthesia during a prostate removal surgery. After that, he will remain in the hospital for “several days.”
The information was provided to the Jerusalem District Court by Amit Hadad, a lawyer representing Netanyahu in a criminal trial, in a motion to cancel court decisions at which the prime minister was to testify next week.
“The prime minister is expected to remain in hospital for several days. At this stage, the court is requested to cancel the hearings scheduled for this week,” Hadad said in his letter.
The court, for its part, granted the request, adding that the hearing is now expected to take place on Monday, January 6. The prime minister was also wished a full recovery.
According to media reports, during the operation and in Netanyahu's absence, Justice Minister Yariv Levin will temporarily act as the country's prime minister. For his part, Defense Minister Israel Katz will be authorized to convene the National Security Cabinet if necessary.
Background
On Saturday, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that on Wednesday, the 75-year-old official was examined at Hadassah Hospital. As a result, he was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection caused by a benign enlargement of the prostate gland. Now he will have to have his prostate removed.
