Netanyahu to fly directly to US following ICC arrest fears

Shafaq News/ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is preparing for a visit to the United States to meet with President Joe Biden and deliver a speech to Congress on July 24.

The Israeli Broadcasting Authority revealed, on Wednesday, that Netanyahu will avoid making a stopover in Europe during his trip to the US, due to concerns about potential arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

According to the Authority, the Prime Minister's Office examined whether the government plane could legally land in a European country on its way to Washington. This consideration arose after authorities discovered this month that the Prime Minister’s plane was not yet capable of making a direct transatlantic flight from Tel Aviv to Washington when fully loaded with the accompanying delegation.

Netanyahu had considered stopping in European countries that have declared they would not comply with an ICC arrest warrant, such as the Czech Republic and Hungary.

Ultimately, Netanyahu opted to avoid any stopovers entirely, choosing instead to make a direct flight, though this decision necessitated significantly reducing the number of passengers on board. The plane will carry a maximum of 60 passengers to manage the direct flight from Tel Aviv to Washington, with the remaining members of Netanyahu's delegation expected to travel on regular commercial flights.

Netanyahu is scheduled to address the US Congress on July 24 and meet with President Biden at the White House during his visit.

This decision comes in the wake of a statement by ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan in May, expressing his intention to issue arrest warrants for leaders in Israel and Hamas, including Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif, and Ismail Haniyeh, for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza and Israel.