Panic as Netanyahu’s plane lands in Athens – What Israeli and Iranian media are writing
Iranian media write that Netanyahu is in Greece – Maximou (PM’s Office) denies
The news of the landing of the Israeli government aircraft ” Wing of Zion” at ” Eleftherios Venizelos ” airport at noon on Friday caused a stir and strong reactions on social media . This particular aircraft is used for the transportation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , which sparked speculation that the Israeli leader left his country in order to avoid possible Iranian retaliation, following Israel’s attack on Iran on the same day.
The plane, according to flight data, took off at 11:19 from Ben Gurion Airport and landed in Athens at 1:09 p.m. A wave of posts on social media pointed out that an international arrest warrant is pending against Netanyahu from the International Criminal Court (ICC), a fact that — according to international law — would oblige Greece, as a founding member of the ICC, to arrest him if he were indeed on Greek soil.
Refutation from the Greek government
Sources from the Maximos Mansion rushed to deny the presence of the Israeli prime minister in Athens , claiming that only the Israeli ambassador was on board the aircraft, who traveled to Greece on the government plane due to the suspension of passenger flights due to the escalation of tension in the region.
Iranian and Israeli reports
The Iranian news agency IRNA reported that Netanyahu was taken to an “unknown location, possibly in Greece,” immediately after the Israeli strikes on Iranian targets. Israeli media also reportedly published photos of the Wing of Zion escorted by fighter jets, without specifying the destination.
The Jerusalem Post offers a different version, according to which the government plane was removed from Israel because it is considered a strategic target and not because Netanyahu was on board. A similar incident occurred in April 2024, when Iran launched a missile attack on Israel.
Intervention by BDS Greece
The Greek branch of the international BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement, which calls for boycotts and sanctions against Israel due to the occupation of Palestine and the crimes in Gaza, issued a statement demanding answers from the Greek government:
- Is Greece hosting Netanyahu?
- Does the Greek state allow Israeli state agencies to use Greek territory for security reasons, despite the international warrant against the Israeli prime minister?
BDS denounced that the presence of Wing of Zion confirms the ” informal military and geopolitical cooperation between Greece and Israel “, noting that Greece provides full facilitation to the Israeli state, turning into an “extension of its war machine”.
The question remains open: Who was actually on board the Wing of Zion? The lack of transparency and conflicting information intensify suspicion and confirm, once again, the shadowy dimension of Greek-Israeli relations in a period of international crisis .