Gaza Summit Disrupted as Netanyahu Cancels Attendance After Turkish Opposition
A planned multinational summit in Egypt aimed at discussing the situation in Gaza was thrown into disarray today after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled his attendance following objections from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The cancellation came after former U.S. President Donald Trump issued a late invitation to Netanyahu to join the conference, co-chaired by Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi in Sharm el-Sheikh. According to reports, Trump secured Netanyahu’s initial acceptance in a phone call yesterday. However, Erdoğan reportedly informed Egyptian officials he would not land his plane in Sharm el-Sheikh if Netanyahu was present, raising his objections while flying over Egyptian airspace.
Netanyahu’s office subsequently released a statement explaining his decision: “Prime Minister Netanyahu was invited by US President Trump to participate in a conference taking place today in Egypt. The prime minister thanked President Trump for his invitation but stated that he would not be able to attend due to the proximity of the event to the start of the holiday.” The move also followed threats of resignation from members of Netanyahu’s coalition government, particularly concerning the International Criminal Court’s recent arrest warrants issued against him regarding alleged war crimes in Gaza. The International Criminal Court has faced scrutiny over its actions, but the warrants add a layer of complexity to Netanyahu’s international engagements.
Erdoğan has consistently condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide, and his potential interaction with Netanyahu – even a handshake – would have been politically damaging domestically and could have jeopardized Turkey’s role in a planned international stabilization force for Gaza. This incident underscores the significant challenges to normalizing relations between Israel and some Muslim nations, a key objective of the Trump administration’s previous peace efforts. The U.S. State Department continues to monitor the situation closely.
Officials stated that discussions are ongoing to determine how to proceed with the summit in Netanyahu’s absence.
