After reports that he would fly to Sharm El-Sheikh to participate in the peace summit with world leaders there today, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says that he will not be making the trip because of the Shemini Atzeret-Simchat Torah holiday that begins tonight.
Israeli leaders historically avoid travel on the Jewish Sabbath and holidays, except under extraordinary circumstances.
Netanyahu thanks US President Donald Trump for the invitation, and for his “efforts to expand the circle of peace — peace through strength,” says the PMO.
Netanyahu does not mention Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sissi, who invited him by telephone today. Initially, Netanyahu was said to have accepted the invitation.
Israel’s Kan TV says Netanyahu canceled because of ostensible concerns over strife within his coalition if he traveled on a Jewish festival, but that the ultra-Orthodox United Judaism party is saying it made no threats in that regard.
Your next read: ToI Editors' Picks
LIMITED TIME OFFER: Join The Times of Israel Community today and you'll receive a physical book of your choice, carefully curated by our editors.
Choose between two must-reads: When We See You Again by Rachel Goldberg-Polin, a searing portrait of a mother’s grief and strength following unthinkable tragedy;
Or Out of the Sky: Heroism and Rebirth in Nazi Europe by Matti Friedman, the gripping and surprising tale of a forgotten moment during World War II.
As a Community member, you’ll also enjoy our DocuNation series of outstanding Israeli documentary films, an ad-free experience of our site and podcasts, commenting privileges, and more.
CHOOSE YOUR BOOK
CHOOSE YOUR BOOK
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Monday, October 13, 2025
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
