From the Liveblog of
Thursday, March 9, 2023
Netanyahu’s flight delayed so he can meet US defense chief Austin, PMO says
Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s flight to Rome has been postponed an hour to 2 p.m.
The Prime Minister’s Office says the reason is his meeting with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who was forced to change the schedule of his own visit due to the protests against the judicial overhaul.
Instead of meeting Israeli officials in Jerusalem or at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, his meetings will be held at Israel Aerospace Industries headquarters, adjacent to the airport.
There is heavy congestion at the entrance to the airport as a convoy of protesters blocks the area.
Protest heads have specifically called for demonstrators to block roads around Ben Gurion Airport when Netanyahu and his wife are scheduled to depart on their flight to Italy.
