Israeli Minister: Sooner or later Qatar will get F-35 fighter jets

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An Israeli cabinet minister said the sale of the United States (US) F-35 stealth fighter jet to Qatar was feasible, despite Israel's objections to such a deal. The Jewish state objected to Doha getting the sophisticated fighter aircraft because of its close ties with Iran and the Palestinian Hamas group.

Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet, told Ynet TV, as quoted by Middle East Eye , Monday (26/10) / 2020) that I believe if Qatar want it and are willing to pay, sooner or later they will get it. This is an assumption that we have to take into account. The US government is ultimately paying attention to American interests, especially in dealing with rival stealth fighter jets on offer from Russia and China.

Reuters reported on October 7 that Qatar had submitted a formal request to purchase the F-35, an aircraft built by the US aerospace company; Lockheed Martin. So far, the only Middle Eastern country the F-35 has supplied has been Israel.

Israel, which consults with Washington about the sale of F-35 fighter jets to the Gulf states, says such a thing would be opposed.

A Steinitz spokesman said in the statement that Israel's stance on potential sales of US F-35 fighter jets to the Gulf countries had not changed. If such a sale occurs, Israel will demand appropriate compensation namely US defense aid. US officials have been open to selling the F-35 to the United Arab Emirates, after the country and Bahrain normalized relations with Israel on Sept. 15 as part of a US-brokered agreement known as the Abraham Accords.