The prime minister’s office failed to deny an incident involving Ms Netanyahu had occurred but branded
the report “distorted”. A spokesperson said: “There was a misunderstanding which was immediately
clarified and the flight went according to plan.
“The story about the security guards, as well, is a total lie. It is another attempt to divert attention from the
important international visit that the prime minister carried out.”
El Al, the plane’s operator, also said the flight “went according to plan”.
The Netanyahus were met on the tarmac in Kiev by the city’s mayor Vitali Klitschko, a former world
heavyweight boxing champion. The visit is the first by an Israeli prime minister since Mr
Netanyahu travelled to the country in March 1999, during his first term.
Mr Netanyahu is also the first foreign leader to visit Kiev since the April election of President Volodymyr
Zelensky, a former actor with no previous political experience.
The Israeli prime minister and Mr Zelensky were due to hold talks yesterday morning. In a video
message ahead of the visit, Mr Netanyahu said discussions in Kiev would touch upon the “establishment of
a free-trade area, [a] pensions agreement, and a host of other issues that will further strengthen the
excellent relationship between the two countries”.
In June, Ms Netanyahu was ordered to pay 55,000 shekels (£12,800) after she admitted using
taxpayer money to order hundreds of takeaway meals.
She avoided a prison sentence after agreeing a plea deal with prosecutors to settle allegations that she
fraudulently ordered £80,000 worth of restaurant food.
Under the agreement, the fraud charge was dropped and she pleaded guilty to the lesser criminal offence of
intentionally exploiting another person’s mishandling of state money for her own benefit.