Prime Minister Netanyahu has asked U.S. President Donald Trump not to sell Turkey weapons systems intended to upgrade its air force, according to journalist Barak Ravid. The request comes amid ongoing signals from the Trump administration that it may approve the sale of F-35 fighter jets and related technology to Ankara.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has directly asked U.S. President Donald Trump to refrain from selling Turkey weapons systems that would upgrade its air force, according to a report by journalist Barak Ravid published Monday evening. The request — the first confirmation of a personal appeal from Netanyahu to Trump on the matter — comes hours after the prime minister's own public statements opposing the sale, and amid intensifying signals from the Trump administration that it may approve the deal.
Netanyahu's public opposition to the F-35 sale was reported by The Zioneer in a series of bulletins Monday, all published at 14:35 Jerusalem. In the earliest, he criticized a 'plane deal' and attacked Turkish President Erdogan. By a subsequent version at the same time, he had hardened his stance, warning that selling F-35 engines would 'upset the Mideast power balance.' The thread evolved from an initial unelaborated statement to a full public position within minutes, all sourced to Israeli media outlets including N13 and Army Radio. The Ravid report now provides a separate, journalist-sourced account of a direct, behind-the-scenes request to Trump.
As The Zioneer reported, the background to the dispute includes President Trump stating on June 25 that he will 'likely' approve the F-35 and engine sale, and a bipartisan group of U.S. House members urging Secretary of State Rubio and Defense Secretary Hegseth on June 28 to block the deal over concerns about Turkey's Russian S-400 system. The sale would reverse the Biden-era policy of excluding Turkey from the F-35 program.
The exact scope of the weapons systems Netanyahu asked Trump to withhold has not been detailed beyond the reference to air force upgrades. Ravid's report does not specify Trump's response.
7 developments
- DevelopingFormer Israeli Air Force official urges government to block potential US F-35 sale to Turkey
- StrongAnalysis: Trump's renewed push for F-35 sale to Turkey threatens Israel's air supremacy in the Mediterranean
- DevelopingIsraeli minister warns Israel will do all it can to block Turkey from getting F-35s
- DevelopingIsraeli Ambassador to US Leiter Opposes F-35 Sale to Turkey, Vows to Respect US Decision
Source and signal
- Internal intake