ALBAWABA - According to Israeli media, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly appeared in the Knesset to attend a critical budget vote only two days after having surgery to remove his prostate, over protests from his medical staff.
According to The Times of Israel, Netanyahu was seen sitting in the plenary chamber during the budget discussion, clearly exhausted. Netanyahu persisted on going to the session despite his physicians' cautions about the possible dangers of doing so so soon after surgery. The hospital had reported earlier in the day that his recuperation was going well and there were no significant issues.
The ultra-Orthodox Agudat Yisrael section of the United Torah Judaism party and the far-right Otzma Yehudit party vowed to veto the "trapped profits" bill unless their demands were met.
Members of the Knesset are scheduled to vote on the law's final reading and a second measure that would raise health insurance costs this afternoon. This year's penultimate session provides the last chance to enact these important measures.
Members of the coalition have rushed to ensure that both initiatives receive enough backing. The nation may experience a fiscal deficit of 15 billion shekels ($4 billion) if the ballots are not completed by midnight.
