Prime Minister Netanyahu said Turkey is ruled by a man who calls for the destruction of Israel and that selling it F-35 jets poses a threat to Israeli security, according to a statement circulated this afternoon.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Turkey is ruled by a leader who calls for Israel's annihilation and that providing Ankara with F-35 stealth fighter jets endangers Israeli national security. The remarks, circulated as a statement in the early afternoon, revive Netanyahu's longstanding opposition to the sale, which has been debated amid reports that U.S. President Donald Trump is considering moving forward with the deal.
Netanyahu's latest comments follow a flurry of Israeli diplomatic and public pressure against the sale this week. As The Zioneer reported, he issued a formal appeal to Trump not to finalize the transaction on Monday morning, and an analysis published last week by an Israeli commentator warned the move could erode Israel's air supremacy in the Eastern Mediterranean. Netanyahu also faces domestic criticism over the matter; American conservative commentator Mark Levin condemned Trump's reported plan as empowering a 'crazy' leader who threatens both Israel and other U.S. allies.
The statement did not specify what actions, if any, Israel would take if the sale proceeds. No immediate response from Ankara or Washington has been reported.
6 developments
- DevelopingNetanyahu goes public against Trump's reported F-35 sale to Turkey, sharpening earlier remarks
- StrongAnalysis: Trump's renewed push for F-35 sale to Turkey threatens Israel's air supremacy in the Mediterranean
- StrongNetanyahu warns Erdogan: 'We have proven what we can do'
- DevelopingMark Levin blasts Trump over reported F-35 sale to Turkey
Source and signal
- Internal intake