Israel pushing US to link Saudi F-35 sale to peace deal – report

Despite concerns the sale of advanced US stealth fighter jets to Saudi Arabia could hurt Israel’s military edge, Jerusalem has reportedly not objected to the agreement but is pushing to condition it on the Saudis agreeing to a peace deal.

By World Israel News Staff

The Israeli government is urging the Trump administration to condition the planned sale of advanced stealth fighter jets to Saudi Arabia on the oil-rich kingdom’s entry into the Abraham Accords, according to reports published over the weekend.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Riyadh has requested permission from the US to buy up to 48 F-35 Lightning II fighter jets, with the kingdom’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman expected to raise the issue with President Donald Trump during a visit to the White House on Tuesday.

Currently, Israel is the only country in the Middle East operating the advanced fighter jets, the most modern produced by the United States.

Requests by Turkey and Saudi Arabia to purchase F-35s would end the Jewish state’s monopoly in the region on the stealth fighter, reducing its qualitative edge in air power.

The US has for years vowed to uphold the Israeli military’s “Qualitative Military Edge,” with the Arms Export Control Act requiring that arms sales to Middle Eastern powers not adversely affect Israel’s qualitative advantage.

In 2020, as part of the Abraham Accords, Israel agreed not to raise objections to the potential sale of F-35s to the United Arab Emirates, after the UAE normalized ties with Israel.

Jerusalem has balked at the possible purchase by Turkey of F-35s, warning that the upgrading of Ankara’s air force could undermine Israel’s security.

However, according to reports by Axios and Israel’s Channel 12, Israel has not rejected the possible sale of F-35s to Saudi Arabia’s air force, but has pressed the Trump administration to link any such sale to Riyadh’s agreement to normalize ties with Israel.

President Trump has recently increased pressure on the Saudis to soften their terms for a peace deal with Israel and entry into the Abraham Accords, hoping to secure a deal between the two countries in the near future.

Thus far, Saudi Arabia has insisted that Israel publicly commit to a pathway toward Palestinian statehood as a condition for establishing formal diplomatic relations.

On Friday, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that peace between Israel and the Saudis would be at the center of his meeting with bin Salman on Tuesday.

“I hope that Saudi Arabia will be going into the Abraham Accords fairly shortly,” Trump said.

Israeli officials cited by the Axios report on Saturday said that Jerusalem views selling F-35s to the Saudis without a diplomatic concession as “a mistake and counterproductive.”

“Unlike the supply of F-35s to Turkey that we strongly oppose, we are less concerned about such weapons systems in Saudi Arabia if it’s part of a regional security cooperation as part of the Abraham Accords, like we have with the United Arab Emirates,” one official said.