Benjamin Netanyahu to have prostate removed

Binyamin Netanyahu will scheduled for surgery on Sunday to have his prostate removed following a urinary tract infection.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was due to have his prostate removed on Sunday. Picture: AFP

Benjamin Netanyahu was scheduled for surgery on Sunday to have his prostate removed following a urinary tract infection.

The Israeli Prime Minister had a test on Wednesday, when he was “diagnosed with a urinary tract infection resulting from a benign prostate enlargement”.

He has been receiving antibiotic treatment for an infection.

Earlier this year Mr Netanyahu, 75, had surgery for a hernia, and in July last year he was fitted with a pacemaker.

It is unclear whether he will be under general anaesthesia for this surgery, although prostatectomies are typically performed with the patient asleep throughout.

In the event the prime minister of Israel is incapacitated, it falls to a designated automatic acting prime minister to fulfil their duties, rather than the elected deputy prime minister, currently Yariv Levin. However, Mr Netanyahu has refused to name a permanent individual to the role leading to confusion over who would take over in the event he is unable to fill his position.

When he was previously sedated for a gastrointestinal examination, in January last year, he selected Aryeh Deri, the former minister, to serve as his temporary replacement.

If no minister is chosen to fill the role of acting prime minister, and Mr Netanyahu is unable to carry out his duties, Israeli law dictates that the government must convene and elect an acting prime minister from the existing pool of ministers, though this is unlikely to be necessary.

The Times