Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled his planned attendance at Tuesday’s high-profile Gaza summit in Cairo, following reports that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to walk out — or not land at all — if the Israeli leader participated.

According to Yisrael Hayom, Erdogan phoned Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi while his plane was en route to Cairo and warned that he would immediately return to Ankara if Netanyahu was permitted to attend. CNN later reported that Turkey also relayed similar objections to Washington, telling U.S. officials that Netanyahu’s presence at the gathering of world leaders would prompt a boycott by several Muslim countries.

The Cairo summit is expected to include senior representatives from the United States, Egypt, Turkey, Qatar, and European and Arab nations. Discussions are set to focus on stabilizing postwar Gaza and the framework for ongoing humanitarian aid and reconstruction.

Sources cited by CNN said Netanyahu’s invitation to the summit was quietly brokered by American officials seeking to include Israel in early regional discussions on Gaza’s future. That move, however, triggered sharp pushback from Ankara and other Muslim states, several of which indicated they would not attend if the Israeli prime minister were present.

Shortly after the Turkish warnings, Netanyahu’s office announced that he would no longer attend the Cairo summit — officially citing the onset of Simchas Torah, which begins this evening in Israel.

“Due to the Simchas Torah holiday, the Prime Minister will not be traveling to Cairo,” the statement read, without referencing the escalating diplomatic dispute.

The timing of Netanyahu’s withdrawal, however, fueled speculation among analysts that Jerusalem opted to de-escalate the standoff to avoid overshadowing the summit’s agenda. Israeli officials did not comment on whether the prime minister plans to participate in future regional meetings once the Yom Tov concludes.

Erdogan’s move highlights his effort to assert regional leadership among Muslim-majority nations following the Gaza ceasefire. Meanwhile, Egypt — which has positioned itself as a key mediator between Israel and Hamas — faces mounting pressure to balance its Western alliances with the sensitivities of Arab and Muslim participants.

The Cairo conference is still expected to proceed as planned, but Netanyahu’s absence underscores how deeply regional divisions persist even in the wake of what U.S. officials have called a “new dawn for peace in the Middle East.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)