Prime Minister Netanyahu publicly and forcefully opposed the reported U.S. sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, hardening his position from earlier remarks he made in a closed Knesset forum over a year ago, according to Moriah Asraf and Doron Kadosh (N13 / Army Radio). Netanyahu spoke against President Trump's intentions in unusually blunt terms.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has intensified his public opposition to President Trump's reported plan to sell F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, with The Zioneer reporting at 15:23 Jerusalem that his language has become sharply more strident than earlier Monday. The new remarks harden a stance he first voiced publicly earlier in the day, when he warned that the sale would empower a leader who 'openly calls for the destruction of Israel.'
The development follows a sequence of reports on Monday. At 14:35 Jerusalem, the first version of the story noted Netanyahu's attack on Erdogan and criticism of the deal over the 'balance of power.' A second version at the same time added the 99% alignment statement and the explicit warning. The reports, attributed to Moriah Asraf and Doron Kadosh (N13 / Army Radio), have remained consistent in source and substance.
The backdrop to Netanyahu's escalation includes a series of signals from the Trump administration. As The Zioneer reported on June 25, Trump said he would likely approve the F-35 sale, calling Turkey a 'strong' NATO member. An analysis published the same day warned that the sale would threaten Israel's air supremacy in the Mediterranean. On July 2, Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan criticized the U.S. arms-sale denial as 'unjustified.' Earlier Monday, commentator Mark Levin blasted Trump over the reported sale, calling Erdogan 'crazy.'
It remains unclear exactly how or when Netanyahu's latest remarks were delivered, or whether they were part of a public statement or a media interview. The Trump administration has not yet responded to the prime minister's hardening position. The Zioneer will continue to track developments.
4 developments
- StrongNetanyahu tells Fox News: Erdogan threatens Israel, Greece, Cyprus, destabilizes region; should not get F-35
- DevelopingMark Levin urges Trump to halt F-35 transfers to Turkey
- DevelopingIsraeli minister warns Israel will do all it can to block Turkey from getting F-35s
- DevelopingFormer Israeli Air Force official urges government to block potential US F-35 sale to Turkey
Source and signal
- Internal intake