Tel aviv: Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, reportedly lost consciousness on Saturday and was taken by ambulance to Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan on the advice of his physician.
According to his office, the leader was found to be dehydrated but was deemed to be in "good condition" after a medical examination. He was "conscious and walking independently," hospital sources told Haaretz, and doctors reportedly ordered additional tests.
Netanyahu's office explained in a statement on Saturday that he had spent the day before at the Sea of Galilee in "high summer temperatures," adding that he had "complained of slight dizziness" on Saturday afternoon without mentioning any fainting.
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The prime minister added that he and his wife had spent the day "in the sun, without a hat, without water - not a good idea," in a video posted from the hospital. He urged the public to avoid the sun and drink plenty of water. Israel's current average temperature is in the mid-30s C.
The head of state with the longest tenure is the 73-year-old prime minister. Despite long-standing protocol requiring such a report, his office has not given an annual update on his health since 2016 even though it is believed that he does not have any chronic health issues.
After "feeling unwell" during prayers on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, Netanyahu was briefly hospitalized for an overnight stay in October. According to some reports, he had chest pains.
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In the event that Netanyahu were to become medically incapable, it is unclear who would succeed him. Aryeh Dery, the leader of the Shas party, was later barred from holding the position of government minister by the high court as a result of multiple criminal convictions for tax offenses and corruption, for which his plea agreement included retirement from politics. Dery was named as his replacement while he was unconscious undergoing a colonoscopy in January. Israe
The beleaguered government of Netanyahu has had difficulty passing a set of judicial reforms meant to curtail the Supreme Court's authority. Officials within his Likud party are said to be of the opinion that he intends to move forward with the overhaul despite the widespread public protests and the threat of widespread insubordination among military factions
