Netanyahu goes against doctor’s orders, appears in Israeli parliament after surgery
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared in the hall of the Israeli parliament on Tuesday for a crucial budget-related vote, despite the objections of doctors following prostate surgery on Sunday night, the Israeli news agency Tazpit Press Service (TPS) reports.
Netanyahu, 75, was accompanied to the Knesset Plenum by his personal physician, Dr. Tzvi Berkowitz and appeared in good spirits as he took his seat for a brief appearance. The Israeli leader went under the knife on Sunday to have his prostate removed after suffering a urinary tract infection, which had reportedly "stemmed from a benign enlargement of his prostate," according to Netanyahu's office.
Two parties in Israel’s governing coalition are threatening to vote against the "Trapped Profits Law" if their demands are not met.
ISRAELI PM BENJAMIN NETANYAHU COMPLETES PROSTATE SURGERY AFTER UTI DIAGNOSIS
The bill would allow the government to tax so-called "trapped profits," earnings retained by corporations and multinationals for reinvestment in business growth, infrastructure, and research. Until now, trapped profits were tax-exempt to encourage investments.
Failure to pass the bill could jeopardize approval of the state budget, which must be passed by March 31 or the government will automatically fall, triggering national elections.
The United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party, which controls seven Knesset seats, said it would vote against the bill as a warning over the government’s failure to advance legislation exempting Haredim, or Orthodox Jewish citizens, from military service.
The issue of exempting Haredim has sparked heated debate in recent months. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) began making plans to draft yeshiva students after Israel’s High Court of Justice ruled in June that exemptions for the Haredi community were illegal, per TPS.
UTJ leader Minister Rabbi Yitzhak Goldknopf insists that the party will maintain its opposition without progress on the draft exemption law.
The Otzma Yehudit party, which also controls seven seats, is dissenting too.
Its leader, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, is demanding an increased budget for the police, prison service and firefighting agencies and has vowed to vote against the bill until his demands are addressed, according to TPS.
Netanyahu’s government is made up of seven parties with 68 of 120 seats.
On Sunday, Netanyahu's office announced that the surgery "ended successfully and without complications."
The Israeli leader has undergone several health procedures over the past two years. In March, Netanyahu underwent hernia surgery under full anesthesia, and Deputy Prime Minister Yariv Levin temporarily assumed his role during the process.
Months before the Oct. 7 attacks, Netanyahu suffered dehydration and was admitted to a hospital in July 2023. The Israeli leader said that he became dehydrated after visiting the Sea of Galilee without water or sun protection during a heatwave.
A week after being admitted for dehydration, Netanyahu's doctors implanted a pacemaker to regulate his heart rate and rhythm.
Netanyahu's most recent operation came as the 75-year-old politician continues to testify in a corruption case against him in Israel. He took the stand earlier in December and is expected to continue testifying in the new year.
Netanyahu is also currently leading the IDF on multiple fronts across the Middle East, continuing to target Iranian terrorists and their proxies.
The IDF recently launched multiple strikes against Houthi rebels, hitting Sanaa International Airport in Yemen and Houthi infrastructure in the ports of Al-Hudaydah, Salif and Ras Kanatib.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces also conducted multiple precision strikes against Iran-backed Houthi targets in Sana’a and coastal locations within Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen on Dec. 30 and 31, Fox News has learned.
The strikes are a part of CENTCOM's effort to degrade Iran-backed Houthi efforts to threaten regional partners and military and merchant vessels in the region.
Fox News Digital's Anders Hagstrom and Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.