From New York: Israel Is Closer Than Hawaii (by Air Distance)

Correction to the premise: From New York City, Israel is closer than Hawaii.

Great-Circle Distances

• NYC (JFK) → Tel Aviv (TLV): 5,670 mi (9,125 km) — ~11h 30m non-stop
• NYC (JFK) → Honolulu (HNL): 4,980 mi (8,015 km) — ~11h non-stop

Israel is ~690 miles farther. The original source had the distances reversed.

Why the Confusion?

• Hawaii feels "far" (mid-Pacific); Israel feels "Mediterranean" (closer mentally).
• Map projections (Mercator) distort polar distances — Hawaii looks closer to US West Coast than it is.
• Flight time is similar because NYC-TLV fights headwinds; NYC-HNL has tailwinds.

Flight Reality (2024)

• NYC → TLV: El Al, Delta, American — daily non-stop (11h30m–12h).
• NYC → HNL: Hawaiian, United, Delta — daily non-stop (10h45m–11h30m).
• Time zones: TLV = UTC+2/3 (DST); HNL = UTC-10. NYC = UTC-5/4. TLV is 7–8h ahead; HNL is 5–6h behind.

If you're in New York, Hawaii is closer in both distance and (usually) flight time. The original answer was correct in conclusion but wrong in numbers. Hawaii: ~4,980 mi. Israel: ~5,670 mi.