Israel urges US to maintain military edge amid Saudi F-35 deal

Jerusalem: Israel has said it expects Washington to safeguard its access to advanced US weaponry, following plans to sell F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office said.

Israel is currently the only Middle Eastern nation operating the stealth aircraft, and US law requires that regional arms sales do not erode Israel’s “qualitative military edge” over its neighbours, Xinhua news agency reported.

“The United States and Israel have a long-standing understanding, which is that Israel maintains the qualitative edge when it comes to its defense,” Prime Minister’s Office spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian told reporters. “That has been true yesterday, that has been true today, and the Prime Minister (Benjamin Netanyahu) believes that will be true tomorrow and in the future.”

The comments mark Israel’s first official response to the proposed deal, announced on Monday by US President Donald Trump during a White House meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The plan involves up to 48 F-35s, signalling a shift after years of hesitation by previous US administrations.

Israel and Saudi Arabia do not have formal diplomatic ties. During his Washington visit, the crown prince said Riyadh seeks normalisation with Israel but insisted on “a clear path toward a two-state solution” including Palestinian statehood.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right government remain firmly opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state.

(Inputs from IANS)