Since Israel’s peace deal with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a sale of arms, including F35s, to the UAE seemed inevitable. Israel first bristled at this idea, but has recently seemed to tolerate the sale so long as they get free equipment from the US in return.
Nothing’s ever that easy, however, and Senators from both parties, Jim Risch (R-ID) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ), are now resisting the idea, saying they believe the sale doesn’t meet legal requirements to assure Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge.
Menendez argued that Israel couldn’t be said to retain its edge, in having F35s, if someone else got F35s. That was roughly the argument Israel was making as well, though the fact that the sales went to a nation that they are now friends with seemingly changes things, at least somewhat.
The UAE has tried to reassure critics that they aren’t going to erode Israel’s edge or share technology with Russia. Though they’ve seemingly answered all questions, there remains resistance to such sales, both because of Israel, and because there is already concern the US is selling too much to the UAE.
Peace deal? Please. More like an F-35 yard sale.
We need to vote out the treasonous Risch and Menendez so that they can move to the country that they love and work for. We don’t need those self serving bastards.
There is no reason why Qatar can’t pay for them now and wait for 20 years for delivery. Pakistan was happy to do that.
A few years ago the chief AIPAC lobbyist was having lunch at the Capital Grill with an NYT reporter. In the course of the conversation he said….”see this cocktail napkin….if I need to, in 48 hours I can have the signatures of 85 Senators on it.” The reporter published the story and has probably since suffered the consequences. Nevertheless, it was probably the truest and most accurate statement ever uttered at the Capital Grill.
Well, yes, the Jewish Only State does have veto power over Congress…and the president.
If US politicians really wanted peace, they’d cease all arms sales. Why do they think it’s such a great idea to export what is supposed to be the most advanced fighter jet? Why don’t they sell aircraft from the military graveyard in Arizona? Stuff like F4’s an other antiquated, non-functional aircraft that those other countries can recondition if they really want to.
I wish “everybody disarmed” was a route to peace. Actually, WWIV is likely to be fought, but with rocks.
Uneven disarmament = uneven armament. Seen either way, it tends to make war more likely, by providing the incentive to believe in the potential for a “Short Victorious War.” That was a book title about a very bloody episode that once again did not turn out as expected.
Selling weapons into hot spots is no route to peace. However, the route to peace is more complex than just not selling the weapons.
It is important to notice that the US does NONE of those things on a real route to peace, and even here we’d have a big debate about what those things might be — because it is so little seen or even discussed. Just weapons and more weapons, then using them.
Israel is trying to cheat the Arabs.
They got their part of the deal, and now they want some of their pet US Senators to cheat the Arabs out of what they were supposed to get in return.
This is absolutely standard with the Israelis, in all their dealings with Arabs.