Jerusalem, Jan 1 (IANS): Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left the hospital to attend a parliamentary vote on a government tax bill at risk of failing to pass.
Medical staff at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem recommended Netanyahu remain hospitalised to fully recover from his prostate removal surgery conducted Sunday night, but Netanyahu made the decision to leave the hospital earlier.
A live broadcast on the Knesset TV channel showed that Netanyahu, appearing pale and tired, arrived at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, accompanied by his personal physician Tzvika Berkowitz, Xinhua news agency reported.
The vote, which Netanyahu's coalition was struggling to secure a majority for just hours before the year-end deadline, was expected to take place later on Tuesday.
The "Trapped Profits Law" is aimed at increasing national revenue from corporate taxes. Two key coalition partners -- Otzma Yehudit, an ultranationalist party, and Agudat Yisrael, an ultra-Orthodox party -- announced they would vote against the bill, citing unmet coalition demands.
A senior coalition official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Xinhua that Netanyahu is likely to return to the hospital after the vote.
Earlier this year, Netanyahu underwent hernia surgery in March under general anaesthesia, during which Israel's Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister, Yariv Levin, temporarily assumed the role of Prime Minister.
In July 2023, Netanyahu was hospitalised for a pacemaker implant after suffering from arrhythmia, just one week after experiencing dehydration.
The incident led to considerable speculation among many in Israel as to the health of the Prime Minister and to what degree details had been hidden from the public.
A medical report released in January said Netanyahu was in a "completely normal state of health," that his pacemaker was working correctly and that there was no evidence of heart arrhythmia or any other problematic conditions.
Despite protocols requiring Prime Ministers to release an annual health report, Netanyahu did not release one between 2016 and late 2023.
He could not be legally forced to share his health information as these protocols, developed by the PMO, were not enshrined in law.