Sean Gallup/Getty Images
Netanyahu, 73, was hospitalized on Saturday.
Jerusalem
CNN
—
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was hospitalized Saturday due to dehydration, his office said.
Netanyahu’s initial tests “came back normal” and he was in “good condition,” his office said in a statement.
He was admitted to the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Khan, a suburb of Tel Aviv, on Saturday.
In a statement to CNN, Netanyahu complained of “slight dizziness” before his admission.
“On doctors’ recommendation, the Prime Minister is undergoing additional routine tests.”
The prime minister released a video statement later on Saturday, saying he was dehydrated and advising people to drink more water.
“Yesterday I spent time with my wife on the Sea of Galilee, in the sun, without a hat, without water. Not a good idea,” Netanyahu said, “so first of all I want to thank you all for your concern and also the great teams at Sheba who examined me.
“Thank God, I feel better, but I have only one request for you: we are facing a heat wave in the country, so I ask you, stay less in the sun, drink more water, good for everyone. Week.”
Temperatures in Israel have been reaching the mid-30s Celsius (low 90s Fahrenheit) for several days and are expected to continue at that level for the next week, according to the Israel Meteorological Agency.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid wished Netanyahu a “full recovery and good health” in a tweet.
Israel currently has no acting prime minister, meaning that with Netanyahu incapacitated, the cabinet must meet to elect an acting prime minister.
Justice Minister Yariv Levin is deputy prime minister, but under Israel’s constitution, acting prime minister is a separate role, meaning Levin does not automatically take over if Netanyahu becomes incapacitated.
There is currently no sign that Netanyahu is down.
Netanyahu, 73, is the leader of Israel’s center-right Likud party and has been a dominant figure in Israeli politics for nearly three decades.
In June 2021, he lost office for the first time in 12 years after rival Naftali Bennett won a parliamentary vote to form a government.
Eighteen months later, he was again prime minister in a dramatic fashion, cobbling together a coalition.
On Yom Kippur in October 2022, Netanyahu fell ill while visiting a synagogue.
He was admitted to hospital where he stayed overnight before being released.
