Netanyahu Postpones Trips to Cyprus, Turkey, Following Surgery

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s planned trips this week to Turkey and Cyprus were postponed on Sunday after the premier underwent surgery overnight to have a pacemaker implanted.

Netanyahu had been planning to travel to Cyprus on Tuesday for a summit with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

He was also supposed to travel to Ankara this Friday to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in what would have been the first visit by an Israeli premier to the Turkish capital since then-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met with Erdoğan in 2008. Israeli President Isaac Herzog met with Erdoğan in Ankara in March last year, and then-Prime Minister Yair Lapid met with the Turkish president in New York in September.

According to a statement from Erdoğan’s office, he and Netanyahu had been set to discuss “the latest developments in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as other topical international issues.”

Netanyahu underwent successful surgery early on Sunday at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer to be fitted with a pacemaker. The surgery took place a week after he was hospitalized for dehydration and had a heart-monitoring device implanted.

“The prime minister must be under observation, as is standard for such a procedure,” said Netanyahu’s spokesman, Topaz Luk. “The visits will be rescheduled soon.”

Netanyahu himself posted on social media about 12 hours after the surgery, saying, “As you can see, I’m doing excellently.” He also said he would be “joining my friends in the Knesset” tomorrow to continue the coalition’s controversial judicial reforms, which have resulted in tens of thousands of people marching in protests across the country.

While Netanyahu was out of action, Justice Minister Yariv Levin served as acting prime minister. Given Netanyahu’s absence, the cabinet postponed its weekly meeting, usually held on Sunday mornings.