Netanyahu Declines Egypt Summit Invite Brokered by Trump, Citing Simchas Torah

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu turned down an invitation to attend a major international summit in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday, after US President Donald Trump personally arranged for the invitation while en route from Ben Gurion Airport to the Knesset. The meeting, hosted jointly by Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, is intended to advance Washington’s postwar Gaza strategy and regional peace efforts.

Both Israel and Egypt confirmed earlier Monday that Trump had sought Netanyahu’s presence at the summit as the first stage of the hostage release began under his Gaza ceasefire plan. However, Netanyahu’s office announced that he would not participate due to Simchas Torah, which begins Monday evening and ends Tuesday night in Israel.

Dozens of world leaders — including Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and the rulers of Qatar and Indonesia — are expected to attend the gathering. Reports also surfaced that Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto would make a landmark visit to Israel following the summit, but Jakarta later denied the claim.

Netanyahu had been noticeably missing from the list of attendees, even as his country is most affected by the issue, whereas Palestinian leaders were invited.

Axios reported that Trump proposed Netanyahu’s attendance while the two leaders shared a car from the airport to Jerusalem. The Israeli premier initially agreed, after which Trump phoned Sissi to request a formal invitation. Egypt’s leader issued it shortly thereafter.

Until recently, Sissi had avoided direct communication with Netanyahu during the Gaza conflict, reflecting months of strained relations between Cairo and Jerusalem. Trump, speaking to reporters during his flight to Israel, had questioned why Netanyahu wasn’t originally invited, saying, “Egypt is in charge of the invites.”

According to Cairo, Monday’s conference aims to finalize terms for ending the Gaza war and to gain backing for the second phase of Trump’s peace plan — disarming Hamas and creating a new governing authority in Gaza.

In his statement, Netanyahu thanked Trump for his “efforts to expand the circle of peace — peace through strength,” but noted he could not attend because of the holiday. Israeli leaders traditionally refrain from foreign travel on Shabbos or Yamim Tovim unless under exceptional circumstances.

Kan News reported that Netanyahu’s decision was also influenced by concerns about potential political backlash within his coalition if he traveled during Yom Tov, though Charedi lawmakers said they had issued no objections.

Despite early reports suggesting the Palestinian Authority would boycott the event, a PA official confirmed to The Times of Israel that Abbas would attend. The Egyptian presidency initially announced that both Netanyahu and Abbas were expected, saying their participation would “reaffirm commitment to the Gaza ceasefire agreement.”

Meanwhile, Indonesia moved quickly to dismiss speculation that Subianto would visit Israel following the summit. Officials said the president would return directly to Jakarta after the Sharm el-Sheikh meeting. “It is not true,” Foreign Minister Sugiono told CNN Indonesia, emphasizing that the president’s itinerary ends in Egypt.

The rumored visit had drawn attention after Netanyahu’s office asked the Jerusalem District Court to postpone his Wednesday corruption trial hearing, citing the expected arrival of several “urgent and important diplomatic visits.”

Subianto has recently struck a more conciliatory tone toward Israel. In his September UN address, he said, “We must also recognize, we must also respect, and we must also guarantee the safety and security of Israel. Only then we can have real peace,” closing his remarks with the word “Shalom.”

Despite those statements, relations between Israel and Indonesia remain officially non-existent. On Friday, Jakarta announced it would block Israeli athletes from competing in the upcoming world gymnastics championships, citing public outrage in the Muslim-majority nation over their planned participation.

A senior Trump administration official told The Times of Israel that the Sharm el-Sheikh summit “could tee up a wider movement toward normalization” between Israel and several Arab states — a goal long championed by both Netanyahu and Trump.