Netanyahu to undergo heart surgery

The Israeli PM said he will be fitted with a pacemaker

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to undergo a heart surgery overnight to be fitted with a pacemaker, he said in a brief statement on his Twitter account around 1am Sunday morning.

“A week ago I was fitted with a monitoring device. That device beeped this evening and said I must have a pacemaker and that I must do this already tonight,” Netanyahu said in a 36-second video clip.

“I feel great, but I need to listen to my doctors,” he added.

Last Saturday, Netanyahu was rushed to Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan after reportedly fainting at home. His office made no reference to any loss of consciousness, stating only that the prime minister had felt “dizzy.” The veteran politician had blamed his lapse in vitality on spending afternoon in the hot sun at the Sea of Galilee “without a hat, without water,” and warned his countrymen to stay out of the sun and stay hydrated.

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Israel’s Netanyahu fitted with heart monitor

Doctors, however, fitted Netanyahu with a heart implant for monitoring cardiac arrhythmia before releasing him from the hospital after undergoing a series of tests. 

The 73-year-old is not known to have any chronic health conditions, and doctors had insisted his heart was in “excellent condition.” However, his office has not released its required annual update on his health since 2016, and the Kan public broadcaster reported that a number of Israeli officials have complained at the lack of transparency.

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