Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left the hospital to call on his coalition partners to back the 2025 budget.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, still recovering from prostate surgery, defied his doctors’ advice to attend a critical session at the Knesset. He sought to secure the passage of a budget bill aimed at boosting state revenues amid threats from right-wing Defense Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and ultra-Orthodox parties to oppose or abstain from the vote.
“Today is an important day and a great victory for the coalition,” Netanyahu said in a statement, emphasizing the bill’s importance for Israel’s economy and security.
Netanyahu left the hospital to cast the deciding vote, breaking a deadlock and ensuring the bill’s narrow approval, 59-58. Addressing coalition tensions, he added, “I expect all coalition members, including Minister Ben-Gvir, to stop destabilizing the coalition and threatening the existence of the right-wing government.”
