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Thursday, February 12, 2026
Netanyahu says he won’t fly back to DC next week, skipping Board of Peace meeting
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says he will not fly back to the US next week as initially planned, which means he will not attend the Board of Peace’s inaugural meeting on February 19.
He was initially scheduled to land in Washington on February 18 and stay the weekend before speaking at an AIPAC conference on February 22.
But a day after invitations to the Board of Peace meeting went out last Friday, Netanyahu’s office announced that he would be moving up his trip to Washington to this week.
While the visit was framed as urgently needed to discuss the ongoing nuclear talks between the US and Iran, the timing led to speculation that Netanyahu was seeking to avoid attending the Board of Peace summit. The US initiative exposes him to criticism due to its internationalization of Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians and its granting of a foothold to rival countries Turkey and Qatar in Gaza.
That speculation is effectively reinforced by Netanyahu’s announcement that he won’t be flying back to Washington and will instead be addressing the AIPAC conference virtually.
Netanyahu’s decision may well upset Washington, which is hoping to have a strong turnout of world leaders at the first Board of Peace fundraising meeting.
The Times of Israel Community.