Netanyahu skips Gaza peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh due to Jewish holiday

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not attend a peace conference scheduled for Monday in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, where president Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will host more than 20 world leaders in an effort to promote an end to the war in Gaza.

Netanyahu’s office said the prime minister “was unable to attend due to time constraints before the start of the holiday.” October 13 to 15 marks Shemini Atzeret, followed by Simchat Torah on October 15.

The leader of the left-wing Israeli Democrats, Yair Golan, condemned the decision.

“I am appalled by Prime Minister Netanyahu’s decision to skip this historic event organized by President Trump,” he said in a statement to Fox News. “Let it be clear: Netanyahu’s refusal to attend the peace summit in Egypt is motivated purely by narrow political interests.”

He added: “After two years of the most difficult war Israel has ever fought, we cannot tolerate the presence of a leader guided by his personal interests.”

The White House is moving to expand the Abraham Accords after the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas

The summit, which will be held in the Red Sea resort, is expected to attract the leaders of Türkiye, Jordan, Britain, Germany, France, Italy and senior representatives from the United Nations and the European Union. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is scheduled to attend the conference at a time when regional powers are pressing for a role in achieving stability in Gaza after the war.

The conference comes amid a renewed effort by the Trump administration to expand the framework of the Abraham Accords once the conflict in Gaza is resolved. Four countries joined the normalization agreements with Israel during Trump’s first term, and senior White House officials indicated their optimism about the possibility of other Arab and Islamic-majority countries joining these agreements.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi will host the conference alongside Trump. (AP Photo/Christoph Inna, Paul, File)

People gather in Hostage Square to participate in a march after the peace agreement between Israel and Hamas. (Dana Rainey/Missing Hostages and Families Forum)

Netanyahu calls Trump Israel’s “greatest friend” as final living hostages are released

Adding to this momentum, Israeli media reported that Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto – the leader of the world’s largest Muslim-majority country – is expected to visit Israel on Tuesday, sparking speculation that Indonesia could be next to seek an Abraham Accords-style peace and normalization agreement with Jerusalem. But Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono told Indonesian media that “there is no such plan” in place for the visit.

Click here to download the FOX NEWS app

Subianto surprised observers with unusually warm statements toward Israel during his speech to the United Nations General Assembly last month, concluding his speech with the Hebrew word “shalom.”

“We must also recognize, we must also respect, we must also guarantee the safety and security of Israel,” Subianto said. “Only then can we have true peace.”

Fox News’ Yonat Freeling contributed to this report.