A planned regional peace conference in Egypt has been thrown into turmoil after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abruptly canceled his participation following threats of a boycott from several Arab leaders — and a direct warning from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
According to diplomatic sources, Erdogan informed Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi that he would turn his plane back to Ankara if Netanyahu attended the summit, which was organized under the initiative of U.S. President Donald Trump. The summit was intended to advance Trump’s “mega deal” — a sweeping political, economic, and strategic plan aimed at expanding regional cooperation and building upon the Abraham Accords.
Erdogan’s warning reportedly prompted a flurry of diplomatic consultations between Washington, Jerusalem, and Cairo. Despite Trump’s personal encouragement for Netanyahu to join the talks, the Israeli leader ultimately decided to withdraw. Netanyahu’s office later cited “the start of the holiday” as the reason for his cancellation — a justification that, according to Israeli sources, had not been previously discussed with his coalition partners.
Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency reported that Erdogan’s aircraft had circled the skies above the Red Sea as news broke of Netanyahu’s withdrawal, noting that the plane “crossed the approach path to Sharm el-Sheikh and remained for a time over the Red Sea.”
Israel Hayom reported that Ankara expressed anger toward Washington for not coordinating Netanyahu’s planned attendance with Turkey. The message was relayed through diplomatic channels before U.S. officials consulted with Netanyahu’s aides, leading to the last-minute decision to cancel the visit.
A diplomatic source told Israel Hayom that “several countries are still not ready for President Trump’s groundbreaking regional initiatives” and emphasized that such a summit requires extensive preparation and prior agreements on core issues. “The president’s diplomatic spontaneity did not go down smoothly with several regional leaders,” the source said.
Despite the setback, U.S. officials are said to be working on a more structured follow-up visit by President Trump to the region in the coming months, where he is expected to formally present his “mega deal.” The initiative reportedly includes expanding the Abraham Accords, as well as new agreements in energy, trade, and security cooperation.
