Sara Netanyahu, the wife of Israel’s prime minister, successfully underwent surgery to remove her appendix on Thursday night and is recovering in the post-surgical department at Hadassah-University Medical Center in Ein Kerem, Jerusalem. She was admitted at midnight on Wednesday when she fell ill and was diagnosed with an appendix infection.

Prime Minister Netanyahu canceled a scheduled visit to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday for his first official trip to the Gulf country.

In addition to being the first lady of Israel, Sara Netanyahu works as an educational psychologist. Her work includes psychological diagnoses and treatment for children in the school system and assistance to children from families in distress. The Netanyahus have two sons, Yair and Avner.

In Jewish tradition, prayers and psalms recited for recovery from an illness are given in the name of the mother, in this case, Sara bat Chava.

At a press conference on Thursday, the prime minister thanked the public for the prayers for his wife’s recovery.

“Thank you for the wishes of recovery and health to my wife Sarah. You moved us. Sarah and I thank you all. We love you,” Netanyahu said.