President Shimon Peres collapsed on Saturday night while speaking to young leaders at a Young President Organization event but regained consciousness spontaneously shortly afterwards. He was able to walk to a nearby room, where he received initial treatment from MDA paramedics. The incident took place in the Rabin Center in northern Tel Aviv.
The President was then taken to Tel HaShomer hospital for overnight observation in the cardiology department. Doctors said he is not in danger and appears to be in good condition.
Medical sources said the brief fainting spell was probably a normal result of pressure and a busy schedule, exacerbated by Saturday's heat. All tests done on the 86-year-old president have yielded normal results, they reported. “Overall, he's in great shape,” one said.
"He fainted for at most a dozen seconds before regaining consciousness and at first had refused to go to the hospital," his spokeswoman Ayelet Frisch said. "A doctor said he had experienced a drop in blood pressure. The first cardiology exams did not indicate any heart attack or stroke."
President Peres is expected to function as usual tomorrow.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke to the president and wished him a speedy recovery.