Israel has expressed strong opposition to the possibility that the United States might sell advanced F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia.
According to Kan News, outgoing Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer visited Washington last week, where he met with senior Trump administration officials and delivered Israel’s message on the matter.
Dermer reportedly made it clear that Israel fears such a sale could lead to the leak of sensitive security information to Russia and China, Saudi Arabia’s strategic partners, and could also undermine Israel’s qualitative aerial edge in the Middle East-a cornerstone of the country’s national security and regional deterrence.
Saudi Arabia has requested to purchase 48 F-35 stealth aircraft from the United States. However, Israeli officials say the initiative has not yet materialized into a concrete deal, and they are awaiting a meeting between Donald Trump and Saudi Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman in the coming week.
President Trump addressed the issue over the weekend, saying he would consider approving the sale, noting that a decision could be made during bin Salman’s visit to Washington next week.
“They want to buy a lot of planes,” Trump said, adding that he hopes Saudi Arabia will join the Abraham Accords.