Daijiworld Media Network- Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv, Apr 20: Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who has recently stirred political circles with signs of a comeback, was hospitalized on Sunday morning after experiencing a cardiac event during a workout session. The 53-year-old leader was admitted to Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba where he underwent a catheterization and is currently in stable condition under observation.
The medical scare comes at a pivotal time, just weeks after Bennett registered a new political outfit provisionally titled “Bennett 2026,” signaling a potential return to the national political stage. Though a final decision on his candidacy is pending, sources close to him suggest he’s seriously weighing a re-entry. A recent Maariv opinion poll suggests his new party could secure up to 27 Knesset seats—leapfrogging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud, which currently polls at 19.
Unless early elections are triggered, the next national vote is scheduled for October 2026. Bennett, who served as Israel’s Prime Minister from 2021 to 2022, has kept a relatively low profile since stepping down but hasn't ruled out rejoining public service. In an interview with Germany’s Bild in September 2024, he hinted at a willingness to work even in coalition with Netanyahu, saying, “If I have to sweep floors for my nation, I will sweep floors.”
Just a day before his hospitalization, Bennett was seen attending the Mimouna celebrations in Be’er Ganim, a traditional North African Jewish festivity marking the end of Passover. News of his sudden hospitalization has drawn swift reactions across the political spectrum. Opposition leader MK Benny Gantz extended his wishes, tweeting, “I wish Naftali Bennett a speedy recovery and good health.”
Having started his political journey as Netanyahu’s Chief of Staff in 2006, Bennett went on to found the New Right and Yamina parties, carving his niche in Israeli right-wing politics. His sudden health episode now casts a shadow of uncertainty over what could be one of Israel’s most significant political comebacks in recent years.