Occupied Palestine (Quds News Network)- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took an unusual flight route to Washington to avoid airspace where he could face arrest, Israeli newspaper Maariv reported.
Netanyahu landed in Washington on Sunday night. He is set to meet separately with former US President Donald Trump and Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff. The meetings come amid uncertainty over a second round of ceasefire talks for Gaza.
On Tuesday, Trump and Netanyahu will hold talks at the White House. Before leaving Tel Aviv, Netanyahu said he would have a “very important” meeting with Trump. He stated that discussions would cover what he called victory over Hamas, the release of Israeli prisoners in Gaza, and countering Iran.
This is Netanyahu’s first international trip since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for him and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on November 21, 2024. The ICC accuses both of war crimes and crimes against humanity against Palestinians in Gaza.
Netanyahu’s official plane, “Wing of Zion,” normally flies west over the Mediterranean, passing through Greek or Turkish airspace. The typical route includes flying over European countries like Italy, Switzerland, France, or Germany before crossing the Atlantic. This time, to avoid European airspace, the flight was rerouted over Greece, then Rome, Turin, and Lyon before reaching the Atlantic.
Due to the ICC warrant, Netanyahu is barred from entering over 120 countries. In Europe, 39 nations, including Germany, France, and the UK, have signed the ICC treaty. In Africa, 30 nations, including South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya, are part of the agreement. In the Americas, 24 countries, including Brazil, Canada, and Mexico, recognize ICC jurisdiction. The US is notably absent from the treaty. In Asia, only eight nations, including Japan, South Korea, and Jordan, have signed. Australia and New Zealand are among eight signatories in Oceania.
Netanyahu is not the only Israeli official facing travel restrictions. Last week, Israel’s Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli canceled a trip to Brussels after a criminal complaint was filed against him in Belgium. Belgian authorities confirmed that Chikli does not have immunity from prosecution, forcing him to scrap the visit.