Israeli President Avoided US Airspace Over Fear Trump Could Order His Arrest

Israeli President Isaac Herzog reportedly routed his flight to Panama this month in a way that deliberately avoided US airspace, according to a report that has set off a wave of commentary in Israel about the dramatic deterioration of relations between Jerusalem and Washington.

The report, whose sourcing has not been independently confirmed by major outlets, claims the unusual routing was driven by concern that President Donald Trump could order Herzog's plane to be forced to land on American soil if it stopped to refuel, potentially leading to his detention. No arrest warrant against Herzog exists, but the report points to the bitterly strained personal relationship between Trump and the Israeli president as the backdrop for the concern.

The tension stems directly from Trump's months-long public campaign to pressure Herzog into pardoning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on trial in Israel on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. Trump has publicly demanded that Herzog grant Netanyahu a pardon, claiming the Israeli president had "promised me five times" that he would do so, and calling Herzog "a disgrace." Trump has also reportedly warned he would refuse to meet with Herzog until the pardon is granted.

Herzog's office has pushed back firmly, stating that Israel "is a sovereign state governed by the rule of law" and that the president will examine any pardon request "without any influence from external or internal pressures of any kind." The Jerusalem Post

Trump has been pressing the issue since at least October 2025, when he called on Herzog to grant the pardon during an address to the Knesset, followed by a formal letter in November and a further escalation in February, when he said Herzog "should be ashamed of himself."

Herzog's visit to Panama and Costa Rica was officially framed by the Israeli Foreign Ministry as an effort to boost ties with Latin America amid Israel's growing international isolation. In Panama, Herzog met with President José Raúl Mulino at the Presidential Palace and held meetings with leaders of Panama's Jewish community.

Whether the flight routing was genuinely driven by security concerns or reflects a more mundane logistical decision is unclear. No Israeli official has confirmed the claim, and it has not been corroborated by Israeli or American mainstream media.

But the fact that the report is being taken seriously and widely discussed in Israel speaks to how volatile the Trump-Herzog relationship has become, and how far the dynamic between Washington and Jerusalem has shifted from its traditionally ironclad alliance.