Benjamin Netanyahu has again taken a significantly longer flight route than necessary, avoiding the airspace of several European countries, this time while en route to the UN in New York.<\/p>\n
The Israeli prime minister, who has an international criminal court arrest warrant against him<\/a> for alleged crimes including starvation as a method of warfare, made a trip that flight-tracking data showed<\/a> followed the Mediterranean Sea, rather than a more direct route over the continent.<\/p>\n The Wing of Zion, Israel\u2019s equivalent of the US\u2019s Air Force One, did cross territory over Greece and Italy but then turned south towards the strait of Gibraltar before heading across the Atlantic.<\/p>\n The Israeli government did not give an official reason for the routing, although Israeli media reported it was to avoid overflying a country that would be obliged to arrest him.<\/p>\n map<\/a><\/p>\n Shorter, more fuel-efficient routes may have flown across France, Spain, Portugal, Ireland and the UK. Those countries have all signed the ICC statute and would be legally required to arrest and surrender Netanyahu to The Hague-based court if he entered their territory.<\/p>\n While there is disagreement over whether a country\u2019s military should enforce the rule by forcing a plane to land, the case would be much clearer if Netanyahu\u2019s plane were to make an unscheduled or emergency landing.<\/p>\n France had previously authorised Israeli use of its airspace for Thursday\u2019s flight, the French news agency AFP reported, citing a French diplomatic source. However, the flight did not cross French territory, possibly changing plans en route.<\/p>\n Relations between Israel and France have soured recently, with Paris heading an international diplomatic push to put pressure on Israel to end the bloodshed in Gaza, including by recognising Palestine as a state<\/a> this week.<\/p>\n Netanyahu bitterly opposes recognition, and his political career has focused on preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state.<\/p>\n The Jerusalem Post reported two weeks ago that some journalists and members of Netanyahu\u2019s entourage would not accompany him to compensate for the additional fuel required for the extended route.<\/p>\n It is not the first time Netanyahu\u2019s fight has taken a circuitous route. In July, the UN special rapporteur for the occupied territories, Francesca Albanese, criticised<\/a> Italy, France, and Greece for providing \u201csafe passage to ICC-wanted Benjamin Netanyahu\u201d when he flew to the US.<\/p>\n