The Israel Defense Forces has raised a formal objection to the possible U.S. sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, warning the move could harm Jerusalem’s qualitative military edge, Hebrew media reported on Tuesday.
An Israeli Air Force position paper shared with the country’s political echelon and obtained by Ynet warns that long-range operations carried out with the IAF’s F-35 fleet rely on exclusive access to the aircraft.
According to the IAF’s assessment, the deployment of identical stealth jets by Riyadh could undercut the Jewish state’s operational advantage.
The document also warned that if Saudi Arabia was allowed to purchase F-35 squadrons from Lockheed Martin, the deal could delay existing Israeli orders and interfere with the IAF’s modernization plans.
“The IDF presented its positions on the matter to the political leadership,” the army confirmed in a statement cited by Ynet.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Monday, Trump confirmed that he planned to approve the deal following a Tuesday meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House.
“Yeah, I am planning on doing it. They’ve been a great ally. ... We’ll be selling F-35s,” he said. However, a senior White House official cited by Ynet said that while the president was inclined to support the deal, he would only make a final decision after meeting with the crown prince.
Jerusalem has reportedly signaled its opposition to the proposed sale of 48 fighter jets to Riyadh. Outgoing Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer raised concerns regarding the sale during a meeting with top officials in Washington last week, Kan News reported on Saturday.
According to Kan News, Jerusalem fears that the purchase could lead to information leaks to Russia and China, allies of Saudi Arabia, and to the possible loss of the Israel Defense Forces’ qualitative military edge.
Two Israeli officials told Axios on Saturday that Jerusalem had asked the Trump administration to condition any possible F-35 sale on Riyadh formally fully normalizing diplomatic relations with the Jewish state.
Currently, the IDF is the only military in the Middle East that has the F-35. Washington previously mulled selling F-35s to the United Arab Emirates, subject to several security guarantees, but the deal fell through due to the Biden administration’s demand to restrict the use of the stealth fighter jets.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir told JNS on Monday that the Jewish state “must maintain” its aerial superiority in the region.
“We are in the Middle East; we cannot get confused. We extend a hand to anyone who truly wants to extend a hand and not harm the State of Israel, but we must preserve our superiority,” Ben-Gvir said.
Meanwhile, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (Religious Zionism Party) told JNS on Monday he was “confident that, with God’s help, Israel’s security superiority will remain, in all aspects.
“It’s a matter of national security and our dialogue with the Americans. How to maintain Israel’s advantage and security superiority; that’s what is being discussed behind closed doors,” the minister added.
