U.S. President Donald Trump invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington. They’re both attending an Egypt-brokered multinational Gaza summit today in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Netanyahu’s participation became a major flashpoint for alarm. International criminal court arrest warrants are now out against him for alleged war crimes in Gaza.
On a phone call early Monday morning, Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi agreed to the invitation. The announcement ignited a firestorm of comments from the public. Though Netanyahu thanked Zelenskyy for the invitation, he backed out of the trip.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu was invited by US 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.” – Israeli prime minister’s office
Netanyahu’s absence at the summit highlights the complexities surrounding Israel’s relations with Muslim-majority countries. Then Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made an unmistakable threat. He raised threats that he wouldn’t fly his plane to Sharm el-Sheikh if Netanyahu’s invitation remained—which just goes to indicate that the war continues within the area.
Adding to this, hawkish signals from the far-right fringes of Netanyahu’s own coalition government suggested they could resign from the government if he showed up at the conference. This even internal pressure reflects deepening concern for the political fallout. Confronting the President candidly, forcefully allows him to respond to damning assertions made against him by high-level accusers.
The summit, which was hastily arranged, was expected to host more than 20 world leaders, all focusing on the ongoing situation in Gaza. Trump’s administration aims to foster normalization of relations between Israel and some Muslim countries, yet the controversy surrounding Netanyahu’s presence underscores the difficulties these nations face in establishing diplomatic ties with Israel.
Egypt’s non-signatory status to the International Criminal Court (ICC) further complicates the issues. Ripeness of the court’s authority not acknowledged. The presence of arrest warrants for Netanyahu makes diplomatic actions difficult and challenges the question of accountability.