Netanyahu likely to helicopter to airport to avoid anti-government protests

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will likely make the short trip from Jerusalem to Ben Gurion Airport by helicopter on Thursday in a bid to avoid protesters who plan to block his route, Hebrew media reports.

Organizers of protests against the government’s planned drastic overhaul of the judiciary are gearing up for another major campaign to disrupt daily life on Thursday, including blocking roads around Ben Gurion Airport in an attempt to prevent Netanyahu from catching his flight for an official visit to Italy.

They dubbed the protest as “a day of resistance to the dictatorship, during which traffic in Israel will be disrupted: in the air, at sea, and on land.”

Netanyahu is scheduled to fly to Rome on Thursday for a meeting with Italian leaders and then spend the weekend in the city.