World leaders to gather in Egypt for a peace ceremony with President Donald Trump and President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, as speculation grows that the Abraham Accords could expand.<\/b>
\nPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not attend Monday\u2019s peace conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, where President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi will host more than 20 world leaders in a bid to cement an end to the war in Gaza.
Netanyahu\u2019s office said the prime minister was «unable to attend due to time constraints ahead of the start of the holiday.» October 13\u201315 marks Shemini Atzeret, followed by Simchat Torah on October 15.
Leader of Israel\u2019s left-wing Democrats, Yair Golan, condemned the decision.
«I am appalled by Prime Minister Netanyahu\u2019s decision to skip this historic event orchestrated by President Trump. Let it be clear: Netanyahu\u2019s refusal to attend the peace summit in Egypt is driven purely by narrow political interests», he said in a statement to Fox News.
«After two years of Israel\u2019s most difficult war, we can not afford a leader guided by his personal interest.»
The summit, set in the Red Sea resort town, is expected to draw leaders from Turkey, Jordan, Britain, Germany, France, Italy, and top representatives from the United Nations and the European Union. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is also slated to attend as regional powers press for a role in stabilizing postwar Gaza.
The conference comes amid a renewed push by the Trump administration to expand the Abraham Accords framework once the conflict in Gaza is resolved. Four nations joined the normalization agreements with Israel during Trump\u2019s first term, and senior White House officials have signaled optimism that additional Arab and Muslim-majority countries could follow.
Adding to that momentum, Israeli media reported Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto\u2014the leader of the world\u2019s largest Muslim-majority nation\u2014was expected to visit Israel on Tuesday, raising speculation that Indonesia could be next to pursue an Abraham Accords-style peace and normalization agreement with Jerusalem. But Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono told Indonesian media «no such plan» is in place for a visit.<\/p>\n