Knesset member Boaz Bismuth, who chairs the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, sharply criticized media coverage of the prime minister’s medical condition over the weekend, accusing news outlets of excessive and sensational focus.
Bismuth described the coverage as “a sick obsession," expressing disappointment in what he called a decline in journalistic standards. A former journalist himself, he wrote that he was “ashamed to see how low the profession has fallen," and claimed that commentators were attempting “to invent absurd speculations."
He argued that the reporting was aimed at shaping public opinion, calling it an effort “to engineer a false and harmful narrative." Addressing the prime minister’s health, Bismuth added, “The prime minister, thank God, is strong and steadfast and will continue to lead us for years."
He went on to criticize what he described as a broader media bias, referring to it as the “‘anything-but-Bibi’ disease," which he said has become a persistent problem requiring attention.
The remarks came after reports on Friday revealed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had undergone surgery and radiation therapy several months ago to remove a small cancerous growth in the prostate, according to his annual medical report released by the Prime Minister’s Office.
The report noted that Netanyahu had previously been treated in December 2024 for a benign enlargement of the prostate and had since been under routine monitoring. Follow-up tests conducted a few months ago detected a small, early-stage growth, which was subsequently removed, followed by radiation therapy. Prof. Aharon Popovitzer, head of the Sharett Institute of Oncology at Hadassah Hospital, said the condition now appears to have been successfully treated.
In a statement, Netanyahu said the publication of the medical report had been delayed by two months to avoid releasing it “at the height of the war," citing concerns it could be used for propaganda by Iran.
He described the condition as “a small medical issue that was completely treated," adding that a tiny spot discovered during a routine check had been removed through targeted treatment. “The spot disappeared completely. Thank God, I overcame that too," he said.