Prime ministerial illnesses, from Eshkol to Olmert - Haaretz

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Wed., October 31, 2007 Cheshvan 19, 5768

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Prime ministerial illnesses, from Eshkol to Olmert

By Yuval Azoulay

During Levi Eshkol's tenure as prime minister, from 1963 to 1969, he underwent cancer treatments. After the Six-Day War, when a dispute arose between defense minister Moshe Dayan and cabinet member Yigal Allon over withdrawing from the territories, he did not take a stand. In February 1969, he suffered a coronary and required treatment. Several weeks later, he died of a heart attack.

Golda Meir, who followed Eshkol as prime minister, suffered from leukemia for 12 years. She also suffered from cardiac insufficiency, vascular problems, gallstones, hepatitis, chronic bronchitis due to heavy smoking, severe anemia, problems with her knees, joint pain and stomach aches. She was under the care of Prof. Yosef Rosenfeld at Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva, and received medication, chemotherapy and other treatment.

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Two heart attacks

In 1980, prime minister Menachem Begin had a heart attack while attending a Knesset meeting. His deputy, Yigael Yadin, noticed the pale-faced Begin undoing his tie and rushed to his aid. Begin was taken to Jerusalem's Hadassah University Hospital, Ein Karem. That was his second heart attack. The first occurred shortly after his election victory, in May 1977, while he was in the midst of forming a cabinet. Several months later, he was hospitalized again, for exhaustion.

In December 2005, prime minister Ariel Sharon had a minor stroke. He was hospitalized briefly at Hadassah, Ein Karem, and was scheduled to undergo cardiac catheterization two weeks later. The day before the procedure, Sharon suffered a major stroke. He underwent several life-saving operations, but never regained consciousness. He remains in a coma at Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer.

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