F-35 Diplomacy: Israel Demands Normalization Condition for Saudi Sale, Veto for Turkey

WISE NEWS PRESS / WASHINGTON, USA — NOVEMBER 15, 2025

Israel has officially communicated to Washington that it will not oppose the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, but only if the transfer is explicitly conditioned on Riyadh fully normalizing relations with Israel, even as Tel Aviv maintains its opposition to an F-35 sale to Turkey.

The F-35 sale, a potential bilateral security agreement, and possible Israel–Saudi normalization are set to be central topics during the expected meeting between US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) at the White House on Tuesday.

Conditional Approval and the Abraham Accords

According to a report by Axios, two senior Israeli officials confirmed that Tel Aviv is not opposed in principle to the F-35 delivery to Saudi Arabia. However, they stressed that the transfer must be part of a broader diplomatic process.

The message conveyed to the US administration was clear:

"The provision of F-35s must be tied to Saudi Arabia normalizing relations with Israel. It would be a mistake to provide them without this condition."

President Trump, speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Friday, confirmed that a major arms deal involving the F-35 was on the table, adding: “I hope Saudi Arabia will join the Abraham Accords soon.”

Veto on Turkey and QME Concerns

Israel remains the only country in the Middle East with an operational F-35 fleet, and its military advantage is protected by the US through the Qualitative Military Edge (QME) principle. The acquisition of the jets by Saudi Arabia could pressure this long-maintained superiority.

A second Israeli official, differentiating the Saudi case from Turkey's, reminded Axios that they oppose providing F-35s to Turkey. For Saudi Arabia, the official noted, "Our concerns would be diminished if the sale was part of a regional security cooperation framework under the Abraham Accords."

The official also voiced specific security concerns given the proximity: "Saudi Arabia is much closer to Israel than the UAE. An F-35 flying from Saudi Arabia to Israel would only take a few minutes." Consequently, Israel is expected to demand that the F-35s not be deployed at bases in western Saudi Arabia.

The Palestinian Hurdle in Normalization

Despite Washington’s efforts to bring the parties closer before the Trump–MBS meeting, a significant gap remains. Riyadh insists that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must present a "credible, irreversible, and timetable-based roadmap" for a Palestinian state—a condition Netanyahu has resisted so far.

Israeli officials expressed hope that Trump would pressure MBS and that the meeting would launch a clear, trilateral diplomatic process toward normalization, stressing, “The Saudis need to soften their position during this visit. It's important that this meeting establishes a clear roadmap toward normalization.”

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