Donald Trump’s high-profile peace summit in Egypt almost turned chaotic after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reportedly threatened to leave mid-flight if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended the event.
According to reports from The Times of Israel, Erdogan called Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi from his plane before landing in Cairo on Sunday for the Gaza peace summit. The Turkish leader made it clear that he would return to Ankara immediately if Netanyahu showed up.
CNN later reported that Turkey directly told Washington that Netanyahu’s participation would be unacceptable. Sources say that Donald Trump personally extended a last-minute invitation to Netanyahu, hoping to strengthen his peace efforts but it quickly backfired after Erdogan’s firm response.
Although Netanyahu ultimately declined the invitation, citing the start of a Jewish holiday, political observers believe Erdogan’s threat played a major role in that decision.
Earlier, Trump had addressed the Israeli Knesset, celebrating what he called a “historic dawn” following a ceasefire that saw the release of 20 surviving Israeli hostages. From there, he traveled to Egypt to host the high-stakes summit with more than 30 global leaders, including key Arab states.
According to The Guardian, the decision to invite Netanyahu could have jeopardized the summit’s delicate balance, given the deep tensions between Israel and several Arab nations. Many analysts noted that Netanyahu’s presence could have alienated important regional players and shifted the focus away from Trump’s peace initiative.
Complicating matters, the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants against Netanyahu over alleged war crimes in Gaza. Although Egypt isn’t a member of the ICC, his attendance would have been seen as provocative.
Erdogan’s warning underscored the political volatility surrounding the Gaza issue. His government has repeatedly accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza, making any public interaction between Erdogan and Netanyahu politically disastrous for Turkey.
In Israel, several far-right coalition members also threatened to resign if Netanyahu attended the Cairo event, further exposing internal divisions.
A statement from Netanyahu’s office confirmed Trump’s invitation:
“Prime Minister Netanyahu was invited by U.S. 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.”
Speaking to reporters in Egypt, Trump highlighted the summit’s significance:
“We have 35 countries, and that’s only because they were the 35 that we invited. Everybody we invited came. You have the emirs, kings, and all the big leaders it’s a very interesting group. There’s a lot of respect.”
The near diplomatic breakdown reveals just how fragile Middle East diplomacy remains, even under the banner of peace.
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