Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took a significantly longer-than-usual flight from Tel Aviv to New York this week while en route to the key United Nations General Assembly session. The nearly 13-hour journey, an extra two and a half hours beyond the standard Tel Aviv–JFK flight time, immediately sparked speculation about the reasons for the detour.
According to flight records from FlightRadar24, Netanyahu’s official aircraft on Thursday notably skirted huge segments of European airspace. The records show the plane moved around the eastern Mediterranean, briefly passing over Greece and Italy, before making a sharp turn southwest over the Strait of Gibraltar and then crossing the Atlantic.
The International Criminal Court Connection
While Israel has not offered an official comment on the re-routing, the decision appears to be closely linked to the growing diplomatic and legal pressure stemming from the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in 2024 over alleged war crimes committed during Israel’s military operations in Gaza. Although Netanyahu has dismissed the charges as “absurd and false,” the legal implications are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
The prime minister seems to have deliberately steered clear of the airspace of ICC member nations out of concern he might be compelled to land and face arrest. It’s important to note that neither the US nor Israel is a party to the ICC.
Avoiding France and Spain
FlightRadar24 data specifically highlighted that Netanyahu’s flight briefly passed over Greece and Italy but completely avoided French and Spanish airspace, contributing significantly to the extended flight time. This is despite a CNN report, quoting sources, that stated France had granted permission for Netanyahu’s aircraft to pass through its airspace—a permission the Israeli PM ultimately chose not to use.
The situation is further complicated by recent diplomatic actions. Many European nations have used the UN General Assembly platform to announce their recognition of a Palestinian state, a move strongly opposed by Netanyahu’s government. Furthermore, Slovenia on Thursday declared a ban on Netanyahu, citing the ICC proceedings against him over alleged war crimes. Slovenia had previously barred Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir in July for inciting “extreme violence and serious infringements of the Palestinian people’s human rights.”
Steve Ganyard, a former US State Department official, explained the political dynamics at play: “For some governments, giving Netanyahu permission to fly over their country would be a political liability.”