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.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
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
