Israeli commercial airline says no volunteers to fly Netanyahu to Rome

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
5 Mar 2023 18:42

Israeli news agencies Walla! and Channel 12 have said that the deadline to volunteer closed at 2:00 PM today.

In this April 21, 2013, file photo, Israeli El Al planes are parked at Ben Gurion airport near "Tel Aviv", occupied Palestine (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit, File)

"Israel's" commercial airline El Al said that none of its pilots have volunteered to fly Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife to Rome for an official visit, Israeli sources reported on Sunday.

Israeli news agencies Walla! and Channel 12 have said that the deadline to volunteer closed at 2:00 PM today.

Reports say that pilots are refusing to put fly the couple due to Netanyahu's controversial judicial reforms.

Reports further reveal that Netanyahu's insistence that he and his wife fly on a Boeing 777 added to the difficulty of finding a pilot.

The commercial airline's fleet of 777s has still not returned from maintenance work after being grounded throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

This comes in light of massive protests against the government of Netanyahu and his judicial reforms which would prevent courts from overturning any amendments made by the government to "Israel's" quasi-constitutional "Basic Laws", in addition to giving more weight to the government in the judge selection committee.

The legislation undermining the occupation's judiciary's independence is fundamental to Netanyahu's administration, which is comprised of a coalition of extremist Zionist parties.

Occupation President Isaac Herzog, who had been aiming to mediate the crisis between the ruling Israeli parties and the opposition, voiced concern over the divisiveness of the legislation, whereby it threatens the unity of the settler population.

Reports have recently emerged that several servicemembers within the IOF are choosing to desert their functions over the reforms.