Netanyahu’s Difficult Path to New York Amid Arrest Fears
According to the English section of webangah News Agency, citing Mehr News Agency and Al Mayadeen, Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu deliberately selected a flight path to New York for attending the United Nations General Assembly that minimized time spent over European airspace.
Israeli media revealed that Netanyahu’s plane took the southernmost possible route with numerous detours to limit crossing European skies. Avoiding French airspace ranked among the top priorities for this flight. This measure is linked to flight restrictions imposed due to arrest warrants issued against him by the International Criminal Court.
The report further states that Israeli aircraft only passed over Greek and Italian airspace before entering the Atlantic via the Strait of Gibraltar. Channel 12 also noted that Zahy Hanegbi, head of Israel’s Security council, did not accompany Netanyahu on this trip-a notable absence.
The Israeli newspaper Maariv added that choosing this longer route caused increased fuel consumption and logistical constraints.Thes factors led to reducing official entourage numbers and prevented journalists from joining the trip.
The journey took place amid domestic protests against Netanyahu’s policies. Demonstrators followed him all the way to Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, voicing their opposition regarding his policies in occupied territories.
