Lead
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu testified Thursday in a Tel Aviv courtroom that his medical condition is "proper" and "excellent," directly addressing the defamation suit he filed against attorney Gonen Ben Yitzhak and journalists Uri Misgav and Ben Caspit over publications concerning his health and fitness. The testimony, held before Ramle Magistrate’s Court President Judge Menahem Mizrahi but moved to the Tel Aviv District Court building for security reasons, was cut short after roughly half an hour when Netanyahu left for a ceremony. Mizrahi allowed him to leave and said another date would be set to continue his testimony.
Coverage Comparison
Two reports from the Jerusalem Post covered the proceedings. The first, published May 7, focused on the court's order for Netanyahu to submit his updated medical file. The second, published May 14, detailed Netanyahu's testimony and his denial of pancreatic cancer. Both reports emphasized the legal and medical aspects of the case, with the latter incorporating direct quotes from Netanyahu’s testimony.
Key Claims
During his testimony, Netanyahu stated, "My medical condition is proper, and some say excellent," and added, "I did not suffer from pancreatic cancer. If that were the case, I would no longer be here." He said he exercises, undergoes medical tests, and that his indicators were "completely normal." Netanyahu also said he had suffered for years from an enlarged prostate, which had been benign, including after an operation to reduce it. Toward the end of 2025, however, an additional test showed the beginning of an early-stage cancerous growth in the prostate, he said. "It was eight millimeters," Netanyahu said, adding that doctors told him the condition was common among men his age and that he could either live with it or treat it. He said he underwent five radiation treatments in January and February, after which a test showed the lesion had been fully removed and had not metastasized. He added that the matter was reported publicly last month. He also addressed his pacemaker, saying it had never been activated because of his good condition.
The court, in an earlier ruling, ordered Netanyahu to provide his updated medical file in a sealed and secured envelope directly to the court, for the judge’s review only, by May 13. The file must be accompanied by a signed letter from Netanyahu’s personal physician, Dr. Zvi Herman Berkovich, confirming that it is Netanyahu’s updated medical file and attaching an original medical document showing when Netanyahu’s prostate cancer was discovered. The ruling does not yet order Berkovich or Prof. Aharon Popovtzer, head of the oncology department at Hadassah-University Medical Center in Jerusalem’s Ein Kerem, to testify. Mizrahi said he would issue a supplementary decision on whether to summon the two doctors after Netanyahu testifies in the evidentiary stage of the case.
The defamation suit, filed for NIS 500,000, concerns publications from May 2024. Ben Yitzhak wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that, according to the reports, he claimed Netanyahu's health was failing, prompting the prime minister to sue.
Perspectives
Netanyahu's testimony presented his health as robust, emphasizing that his pacemaker has never been activated and that his prostate cancer was detected early and treated successfully. The defendants have denied that their publications constitute defamation, arguing that their statements were based on public reports and that the lawsuit aims to silence critical journalism. The court's decision to review Netanyahu's medical file privately suggests an attempt to balance the defendants' need for evidence with the prime minister's medical privacy.
As the case continues, further hearings will determine whether doctors Berkovich and Popovtzer will be summoned to testify, pending Netanyahu's completion of his own testimony. The outcome of this legal battle could have implications for how public figures' health is discussed in the media.