Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu suffers food poisoning

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been sidelined by a bout of food poisoning and will be conducting state affairs from home for the next three days, according to an official statement from his office.

The 75-year-old leader was diagnosed with intestinal inflammation linked to spoiled food and is currently recovering under medical supervision.

As a result of his illness, upcoming hearings in Netanyahu’s long-running corruption trial have been postponed. With the Israeli court system entering its summer recess, his next appearance in court is not expected before September.

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Netanyahu was examined overnight by Professor Alon Hershko of Jerusalem’s Hadassah-Ein Kerem Medical, after skipping a cabinet meeting on Saturday, and is now receiving intravenous fluid treatment for dehydration.

‘In accordance with his doctors’ instructions, the prime minister will rest at home for the next three days and will conduct state affairs from there,’ says the Prime Minister’s Office.

Netanyahu’s condition was declared ‘good’ after further testing, his office added.

The leader had been scheduled to give testimony in court tomorrow and Tuesday but his lawyer Amit Hadad requested that the hearings be postponed and asked for a delay.

The request filed with the Jerusalem District Court on his behalf said that the premier will ‘make an effort’ to testify on Wednesday instead.

The State Attorney’s Office earlier agreed to postpone the two scheduled hearings after reviewing Netanyahu’s medical records, but said that they must be made up by the end of the week.

‘Under the circumstances, and considering what is written in the medical record, we cannot object,’ it said in response. ‘However, in light of the many hearings that have been canceled recently, we will request that the defendant testify on Wednesday and Thursday of this week.’

The court said, however, that it was canceling the hearings rather than postponing them, as they could not be held later in the week due to scheduling conflicts.

This means Netanyahu will not testify again until September at the earliest, as the courts head into summer recess this week until September 5.