Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu ordered Israel’s airspace be closed to Jordanian flights following Jordan’s move to thwart his trip to the United Arab Emirates by denying permission to use its airspace, Maariv reported on Sunday.

The report said that the order was passed to the Transportation Ministry in an email, which was then transferred to the Civil Aviation Authority.

Senior aviation officials stalled implementing the order in light of its international implications, as banning planes from Jordan violates the 1994 peace deal between Israel and Jordan, as well as aviation deals with other countries, including the United States, since no flight to or from Jordan would be able to fly over Israel.

According to the report, Netanyahu reached the decision unilaterally, without first consulting security or aviation officials.

In an effort to postpone the directive, Civil Aviation Authority director Joel Feldschuh sent a number of inquiries about how to apply the directive to the Prime Minister’s Office. Cabinet Secretary Tzachi Braverman responded that Netanyahu had instructed to implement the directive immediately. However, shortly later, the prime minister canceled the directive, which would have had led to serious international consequences.

Blue and White chairman and Defense Minister Benny Gantz responded to the report by blasting Netanyahu, saying his directive was “detrimental to Israel’s national security.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)