Why PM Modi Skipped the Gaza Peace Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to skip the high-stakes Gaza peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, despite a personal invitation from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, has fueled intense speculation in New Delhi.

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Instead of the PM, India was represented by Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, at the gathering co-chaired by US President Donald Trump and President El-Sisi. The primary motivation for the PM’s absence appears to be a careful calculation to avoid two specific leaders and their associated diplomatic pitfalls.

The Pakistan Factor: Avoiding an Unwanted Encounter

The most immediate diplomatic concern was the expected attendance of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The decision to send a junior minister was reportedly driven by the desire to prevent any “uncertain diplomatic moments” with the Pakistani delegation. This move comes amid severely heightened tensions:

• Recent Conflict: The skip followed a sharp escalation in tensions triggered by the Pahalgam attack, attributed to Pakistan-backed terrorists, and India’s subsequent retaliatory actions.
• Anti-Terrorism Stance: At the recent SCO summit, PM Modi had publicly flagged “certain nations” supporting terrorism. A meeting or even a group photo near his Pakistani counterpart could be exploited to suggest a return to diplomatic normalcy, which India is currently not seeking.

The Trump Factor: Shutting Down Credit-Claiming

The second, equally strategic consideration was avoiding US President Donald Trump, who co-chaired the summit to finalize his U.S.-brokered peace plan.

While Modi has recently engaged in friendly calls with Trump—even praising his peace deal—India wanted to prevent the U.S. President from using the event as a backdrop to repeat a controversial claim:

• Mediation Claims: Trump has repeatedly claimed that his personal intervention, via threats of tariffs and sanctions, helped prevent the India-Pakistan conflict from escalating.
• The Rebuff: India has consistently rejected this claim, maintaining that any ceasefire was agreed upon through direct military-to-military talks. By declining the invite, PM Modi avoided giving Trump a public stage to once again claim credit for easing India-Pakistan tensions while both leaders were present.

In essence, the move to delegate the visit was a strategic decision to avoid diplomatic unpredictability—both by maintaining a firm line against Pakistan and by controlling the narrative surrounding India’s relationship with the United States.

Would you like me to rewrite this post to focus on a different angle, such as the summit’s actual outcome or India’s stated position on the Gaza peace deal?