Senior Likud MK David Bitan was placed on an ECMO heart and lung support machine on Monday as his COVID-19 symptoms continued to worsen.
Bitan, 60, was admitted to Sheba Medical Center, Israel's largest hospital, on Saturday, five days after he discovered that he had been infected with the coronavirus.
The hospital said Monday: "On the recommendation of the medical team, a decision was taken to place MK Bitan to the ECMO machine while fully conscious. He continues to communicate with his surroundings, his condition still serious but stable. His family would like to thank the medical team and the many friends who have expressed concern."
Bitan was placed in Sheba's intensive care unit on Saturday evening after suffering complications from COVID-19, his family said at the time.
He was initially being treated at home but was admitted to hospital after his condition declined.
The former coalition chair was informed he had contracted the virus last Monday, after attending an event at Ben-Gurion Airport to welcome hundreds of Ethiopian Jews to Israel.
The event was also attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara, Defense Minister Benny Gantz, Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, Finance Minister Israel Katz, Jewish Agency chief Isaac Herzog and Immigration and Absorption Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata, who herself has recently recovered from coronavirus.