Middle East affairs expert Barry Rubin of the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) in Herzliya states that contrary to reports, the Obama administration is not withholding advanced weapons from Israel. America continues to sell weapons to Israel, and security ties between the two countries remain tight, he said in an article for the IDC's GLORIA (Global Research in International Affairs) Center.
Rubin noted that the United States is supplying Israel with GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs for its F-15I fleet,
and has plans to install the same system on Israel's F-161s. The Israel Air Force is also receiving Laser-Guided Joint Direct Attack Munitions, he said.
Israel is also equipping its F-15Is to carry GBU-28 bombs known as the Hard Target Penetrator, Rubin said.
The recent sales show that the United States remains willing to sell advanced weapons to Israel despite recent political tension on subjects such as construction in Jerusalem, according to Rubin. He dismissed reports that the Obama administration had threatened to cut military ties as “wild rumors.”
In March, the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA), based in the United States and comprised of researchers and military experts, updated a report on American-Israel ties, alleging that the Obama administration was eroding Israel's military edge over neighboring Arab countries. In recent months, the United States has turned down major Israeli weapons requests, while selling weapons to Arab countries in the region, the report said.