According to a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, U.S. President Donald Trump personally invited Netanyahu to the Sharm el‑Sheikh Peace Summit, which will be held following the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.

However, Netanyahu, while expressing his gratitude for the invitation, announced that he would not attend the summit due to its timing being close to the start of the holiday period.

The Invitation Came at Trump’s Initiative

çAccording to Axios reporter Barak Ravid, Netanyahu was not initially invited to the summit. Following a formal ceremony at Ben Gurion Airport, Trump met with Netanyahu and said that he should also participate in the summit.

Subsequently, Trump called Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el‑Sisi to request that Netanyahu be invited. Immediately after Trump’s call, Sisi contacted Netanyahu to extend the invitation.

Why didn't Netanyahu attend the summit?

The official reason given by Netanyahu’s office was the timing near the Simchat Torah holiday, making travel difficult. Israeli media also cited internal coalition concerns, warning that attending the summit could provoke political backlash.

Additionally, Israel-based media outlet Israel Hayom reported that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan opposed Netanyahu’s participation. According to the report, Erdoğan communicated that he would turn back if Netanyahu attended, which ultimately led to the cancellation of the Israeli leader’s presence at the summit.