Israel condemns US-Qatari F-35 warplane purchase despite Abraham Accord

Amid reports of Qatar submitting a request to US to buy  F-35 fighter jets, Israeli intelligence minister Eli Cohen said his country will oppose purchase. In state-run press, Israel’s intelligence minister on October 10 said that Israel will raise objections to US’ sale of F-35 fighter jets to Qatar despite UAE-Israel deal. He emphasised that nation’s top priority was safeguarding Israeli military’s might in region. Eli Cohen’s statement was aired live on Israeli Army Rio and was in response to news ncies' reports about Qatar’s formal request to Washington for purchase of stealthy F-35 warplanes. 

Earlier, US President Donald Trump told reporters at a White House news conference that Lockheed Martin would strike deal with Emiratis for sale of multi-role, VLO Stealth fighter aircraft that can eve enemy detection and enter air at supersonic speed, armed with fully-fused sensor information.

Although, Trump ded, that UAE will purchase “quite a few” and United States would sell it to UAE because it “can afford to buy planes”, ding, an agreement between UAE-US was under review. twithstanding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s objections, Trump said, “y’d [Qatar] would like to buy F-35s, we’ll see what happens,” ding, deal “is under review, and y me a great vance in peace in Middle East.” 

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Israel’s military superiority 'significant'

Sources of a state-run Israeli daily, Yediot Ahrot revealed that Israeli PM Netanyahu said that despite Israel-UAE rmalization accord, he strongly opposed Trump ministration’s selling of F 35 warplanes with vanced US weapons systems to defense forces of Arab Gulf nation. Meanwhile, in his dress, Cohen confirmed claims, saying Israel’s security and military superiority in region was of utmost significance, ding, region hn’t transformed into Switzerland. Qatari request of fighter planes was me subsequent to initial purchase request of UAE, according to Ahrot. 

Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office issued a statement, saying, Israel strongly condemned sale of F-35s or any or vanced weaponry “to any country in Middle East,” despite US-brokered Abraham Accord for diplomatic ties between Emiratis and Israel. Sources of Associated Press ncy cited state-run Israeli ncies report, claiming that Netanyahu, h in fact, brokered UAE-Israel agreement without prior consultation of Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, both of whom have been Israel’s former military chiefs.

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(Im Credit: Instagram/globalairfighters)