Netanyahu’s UK visit plunged into further crisis

Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the UK has been plunged into further crisis only hours before he was scheduled to depart from Israel.

The Israeli prime minister had been scheduled to fly to London on Thursday evening, but delayed the flight until 3am on Friday, UK time, amid a growing political crisis at home.

Meanwhile UK government sources suggested pilots in Israel were refusing to take Netanyahu to the UK, in protest at planned judicial reforms.

Netanyahu is scheduled to meet Rishi Sunak at Downing Street on Friday morning, from what a foreign office minister confirmed was a “short meeting.”

But with the delay in his flight, his arrival time in the UK would leave Netanyahu with little time to make the journey into the centre of London meet with the UK prime minister.

A further meeting with home secretary Suella Braverman has also been scheduled for Friday. Downing Street confirmed to Jewish News that Sunak planned to raise “appropriate concerns” with the Israeli PM when they meet.

UK government sources confirmed Sunak had a “busy schedule” already booked for Friday, leaving little room for the Netanyahu meeting to be re-arranged.

If he manages to meet with Sunak at Downing Street, Netanyahu faces a mass protest against his judicial overhaul in Westminster, organised by Israelis living in the UK and backed by hundreds of UK Jews.

Netanyahu’s office told Israeli reporters he is departing late due to a long schedule of votes and legislative activity in the Knesset.

But some reports claimed the domestic crisis in Israel, with defence minister Yoav Gallant objecting to judicial overhaul legislation, could put the entire UK visit in doubt.

Gallant was due to give his statement in Tel Aviv, but has now traveled to Jerusalem after being summoned for a meeting by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Channel 12 reported.