Israeli chef and television personality Israel Aharoni reveals in a special interview, just before his 75th birthday, that he has spent the past two years battling prostate cancer in private. The cancer was discovered accidentally about a month before October 7, 2023, after he felt completely healthy. His surgeon described the tumor as the largest he had seen in the prostate. Aharoni underwent a full prostate removal surgery, followed by radiation and two years of hormone therapy.
He says the hormone treatment was the hardest part because it drained his energy, made him unusually tired, and caused him to nap in the afternoon for the first time in his life. He also gained 13 kilograms and says he is not in shape now, though he plans to return to fitness. Despite the illness, he kept filming a full season of "MasterChef" without most of the crew realizing what he was facing.
Aharoni also described how he told his children about the diagnosis. He said, "I told them I have cancer, you have five minutes to be sad," and asked them never to show that expression again in that context. His son Ouri said, "He forbade us from being emotional," while his daughter Tamara said the approach, though blunt, was freeing. Aharoni says the treatment ended two weeks ago and that he is now cured, though full recovery will take time. He hopes to be about 80 percent back to normal within a year.
Beyond the illness, Aharoni spoke about the culinary legacy he built, including bringing Chinese food to Israel with "Yin-Yang," opening the iconic "Tapuch Zahav," and now running butcher shops and the fast-food brand Aharoni's Fried Chicken with his children. Day-to-day management is handled by Ouri and Tamara. He said his greatest contribution was making the chef profession legitimate and desirable. He also said he would refuse to light a torch at the national Independence Day ceremony because it has become too political.
