The Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee is holding a discussion on the issue, against the background of reports that the United States will sell 50 evasive aircraft to the Emirates, as part of the signing of the peace agreement with Israel.
The Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee is holding a discussion this morning (Monday) on the sale of F-35 aircraft and other technologies to the United Arab Emirates by the United States.
Photo: Knesset Channel
About a week and a half ago, the White House informed Congress that it intended to sell 50 F-35s to the UAE, according to Reuters on behalf of officials in the Trump administration.
The two countries hope to reach an agreement on the sale of the vapor planes by December 2, Independence Day of the Princesses.
Members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committees and the House of Representatives have criticized the United Arab Emirates' role in the deaths of Yemeni citizens, who may act to cancel the sale of the planes.
At a press conference that Netanyahu held a week and a half ago, he said that Israel had received a commitment from the United States that Israel's military advantage would be maintained as it is.
"This is an important achievement for the State of Israel. We know that we are all facing a common threat, everyone understands this well. However, it was important that the defense establishment accepted this clear American commitment to preserve our advantage in the region and in general."
Photo: Knesset Channel
Defense Minister Bnei Gantz paid a visit to Washington to summarize the "compensation package" that the United States will provide to Israel following the deal to sell the vapor to the Emirates. As well as armaments that will preserve the IDF's qualitative advantage in the Middle East.
During the visit, Ganz signed a statement guaranteeing the US strategic commitment to maintaining Israel's security superiority in the Middle East decades ahead. Ganz signed the statement with US Secretary of Defense Mark Asper at the Pentagon meeting, saying at the end of the meeting: "They are important in ensuring Israel's commitment to maintaining its security superiority."
The issue of the sale of the F-35s caused a stir among senior members of the defense establishment in general and between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ganz in particular.
The defense minister claimed that the prime minister knew about the US-UAE negotiations on the sale of the planes, but hid it from the defense establishment. "The Israelis who were involved in the negotiations, but were hidden from the defense establishment, which was not a partner in it," Gantz said in a statement.
Netanyahu's office clarified that "the new understandings were not part of the peace agreement with the United Arab Emirates and the discussion in them began only a month ago with the defense minister's visit to Washington, after the signing of the peace agreement."
Subsequently, they both announced that they were removing their opposition to the sale of the aircraft.
Eran Itzkovich participated in the preparation of the article