Netanyahu undergoes pacemaker placement surgery
Operation comes a week after Netanyahu, 73, was briefly hospitalised for what he said was dehydration, and was given a heart monitor.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a pacemaker installed Sunday morning, amid growing civil strife over his coalition’s effort to weaken the country’s judiciary.
The surgery came a week after Netanyahu, 73, was briefly hospitalised for what he said was dehydration, and was given a heart monitor. His powers transferred to Justice Minister Yariv Levin during Sunday’s procedure.
Netanyahu intends to return to Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, Sunday afternoon for debate over the judicial overhaul legislation. Lawmakers are due to vote on the bill, which would bar the Supreme Court from striking down government decisions it deems “unreasonable,” in the coming days.
The measure is the first piece of Netanyahu’s broader effort to sap the power and independence of Israel’s Supreme Court. Since it was announced at the beginning of the year, the proposed judicial overhaul has brought hundreds of thousands of protesters into the streets.
The protests have intensified in recent days, with tens of thousands of Israelis marching to Jerusalem in a bid to stop the legislation from advancing. In addition, 10,000 military reservists have pledged to abstain from service in opposition to the judicial overhaul. The reservists’ protest has caused growing alarm among Israel’s current and former security chiefs.
In a speech on Thursday, Netanyahu lambasted the reservists’ boycott and said that he was committed to passing the legislation, though he added that he remained open to a “wide agreement,” or compromise. He reiterated that message in a statement ahead of the procedure.
“I feel great but I am listening to my doctors,” he said in a video posted to Twitter shortly after midnight Sunday morning. “I hope an agreement will be reached. But in any case, the doctors say I will be free by the afternoon to be discharged from the hospital and I will be able to come to the Knesset for a vote.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
