Minister Dudi Amsalem Hospitalized After Heart Attack, Discharged Home

Regional Cooperation Minister Dudi Amsalem of Likud suffered a heart attack on Saturday night, according to his office, and was hospitalized. On Tuesday morning, the minister’s bureau said his condition was good and that he had been released home after several days of hospitalization and medical monitoring.

“Minister Dudi Amsalem had a heart attack on Saturday night and was hospitalized,” his office said. “His condition is good, thank God, and he was discharged this morning to his home.” Amsalem is 65 years old.

Amsalem currently serves as minister for regional cooperation, as a minister in the Justice Ministry, and as the government’s liaison to the Knesset. He previously served as communications minister. In recent years he has become known for hardline positions on drafting yeshiva students and defending the world of Torah study.

Two weeks ago, he sharply attacked Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara in the Knesset over the arrests of yeshiva students, telling her in the plenum, “There is a score, you have a special place in hell.” The next day, in an interview with Radio Galei Israel, he said, “The attorney general is persecuting the world of Torah in an obsessive way. Nothing like this has ever happened to Torah learners, even the greatest antisemites did not act this way.” In recent weeks he was also involved in an internal government clash with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, during which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intervened and told them, “Develop self-control, if you want to keep showing how much you are not leaders, do it outside.”