Why Netanyahu’s flight to US took unusual route, an extended detour of 600 km

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s flight to the United States on Thursday took a longer route as he travelled to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.

His official aircraft, the ‘Wings of Zion’, avoided European airspace on its way to New York.

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Ordinarily, Israeli planes flying to the United States take a shorter, direct route over central Europe, passing through French airspace.

So why did Netanyahu’s jet take this longer path to reach the United States?

Let’s take a look:

Why Netanyahu’s flight to US took a longer route

Netanyahu’s journey to New York took an unusual path as his aircraft avoided European airspace.

This meant bypassing most European nations while he travelled to deliver his speech at the UN General Assembly.

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But why was European airspace avoided?

Simply put, this was done to steer clear of countries that are members of the International Criminal Court (ICC), as well as those that have said they would act on the court’s warrant.

The ICC issued an arrest warrant against Netanyahu last November over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Flying over European countries that are ICC members or willing to enforce the warrant could have led to Netanyahu’s plane being forced to land and his arrest.

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According to Israel’s Haaretz newspaper, the detour added about 600 kilometres to the trip.

Neither Israel nor the United States are part of the ICC, which further complicates the matter.

What route did Netanyahu’s flight take?

Flights from Tel Aviv to New York usually pass over several European nations, including France, Spain, Italy and Greece.

This time, however, Netanyahu’s aircraft only crossed the southern tips of Greece and Italy, then flew over the Mediterranean Sea before heading out over the Atlantic through the Strait of Gibraltar, without entering other foreign airspace.

The jet completely avoided French and Spanish skies, which made the journey longer.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s previous trip to the United States in July flew through Greece, Italy and France.

The shorter and more fuel-efficient option would have gone across France, Spain, Portugal, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

All of these nations are signatories to the ICC statute and would be bound to arrest and hand over Netanyahu to The Hague if he entered their territory.

France had approved Israel’s request to use its airspace for Thursday’s flight, AFP reported citing a French diplomatic source. Still, the plane did not pass through French territory, suggesting the route may have changed during the journey.

Tensions between Israel and France have worsened after Paris led efforts to pressure Israel to halt the war in Gaza, including recognising Palestine as a state this week.

Netanyahu strongly opposes such recognition, and much of his political career has centred on blocking the creation of a Palestinian state.

In February, the Times of Israel quoted Israeli ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter as telling a pro-settlement group that Netanyahu’s flight to Washington had been planned to avoid emergency landings in Europe.

According to him, the route was adjusted to pass near US military bases so the plane could land there if needed.

The Jerusalem Post also reported that two weeks ago, the Prime Minister’s Office announced some journalists and members of Netanyahu’s team would not join this trip due to “technical arrangements related to seating and security”. This was said to help balance the additional fuel requirements.

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ICC’s action against Netanyahu

In November last year, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of crimes against humanity linked to the war in Gaza.

The warrants stated there were grounds to believe Netanyahu and Gallant used “starvation as a method of warfare” by limiting humanitarian aid and deliberately targeting civilians during Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in Gaza.

According to the three-judge panel that approved the warrants, shortages of food, electricity, fuel, water and medical supplies created conditions “calculated to bring about the destruction of part of the civilian population in Gaza,” leading to the deaths of children from malnutrition and dehydration.

With inputs from agencies