The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has reportedly cancelled a tripartite meeting with the United States (US) and Israel over dissonance regarding an anticipated sale of F-35 fighter jets. Citing anonymous sources close to the subject, an Axios report claims that Abu Dhabi cancelled a meeting of the three countries’ United Nations (UN) representatives that was scheduled to be held this Friday in New York, in protest of Israel’s opposition to the deal.
US President Donald Trump announced last week that Washington was reviewing an agreement with the UAE to buy the jets, with a defence official hinting that the deal could be finalized within six months. The US has sold F-35s to Israel, Japan, and South Korea, but sales to the Arab Gulf require a closer review of American policy in the Middle East, which has thus far been focused at maintaining an Israeli military superiority in the region. While all advanced weapons sales require Congressional approval, they can also take years of negotiation, giving the Trump administration enough time to halt the deal. The most recent buyer of the jets, Poland, purchased 32 fighters, whose delivery is unlikely until 2024.
On 18 August, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke out in opposition to the US-UAE F-35 deal after receiving backlash from his countrymen following local media reports that the normalization deal with the UAE included an Israeli agreement to support the military sale. Netanyahu said that his government would not allow the sale of US advanced weapons to other countries in the Middle East, “including Arab countries that make peace with the State of Israel”.
Earlier this month, Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi announced a Washington-brokered agreement to normalize ties and open embassies in each other’s countries. The UAE is the third Arab country and the first Gulf country to enter a peace agreement with the Jewish state. The deal has been denounced by Palestinian groups.
The UAE has been attempting to acquire the jets since 2011, but it was only in 2017 that the Trump administration agreed to consider the country’s request to initiate talks on the potential sale. The Axios report insinuated that the normalization accord was intrinsically linked to the F-35 sale, adding that the military deal is a “top priority” for the Emiratis. “They (UAE) were particularly angry that he (Netanyahu) told members of his Cabinet that he would raise his concerns about the deal with members of Congress,” the report said. Further, it claimed that the Gulf state will also be holding off on participating in any high-level meetings until Netanyahu’s stance is clarified.
On Monday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reiterated that the US would ensure that its long-standing ally, Israel, would continue to retain a military and security advantage in the Middle East. Pompeo is currently in the region in a bid to promote the normalization agreement. “The United States has a legal requirement with respect to qualitative military edge, and we will continue to honor that,” Pompeo said in Jerusalem.
UAE Reportedly Cancels Meeting with US and Israel Over F-35 Deal Disagreement
Israel is opposed to the sale of advanced weapons to other countries in the Middle East.
August 25, 2020
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (L) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, 24 August 2020. SOURCE: AFP