In response to President Donald Trump's consideration of selling stealth F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed strong opposition to the potential deal.
During an interview with CNN, Netanyahu cautioned that the sale of these advanced American fighter jets "does not make Turkey a friendly nation to the United States."
Amid escalating tensions with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Netanyahu labeled Ankara as a "regime afflicted with the Muslim Brotherhood, which despises the United States. It is not an ideal ally for the U.S. It threatens to destroy my country, the only Jewish state."
Netanyahu stated, "This is not a force for peace and stability. When you grant them this power, you will see aggression in its wake."
He confirmed that he directly urged Trump not to sell the jets to Turkey, claiming such a sale "would disrupt the balance of power in the Middle East."
Will Turkey Acquire F-35 Jets?
However, Trump, who is currently in Turkey for the NATO summit, has signaled his willingness to lift the ban imposed during his first term on such sales to Ankara, describing Turkey as an "exceptional ally" of the United States.
In related reports by CNN and Axios, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth plans to visit Israel on Wednesday.
The visit is partly aimed at allaying Israeli concerns over the possibility of F-35 sales to Turkey, with discussions on Iran also expected to be on the agenda.
Hegseth, visiting Israel for the first time as the Defense Secretary, is likely to meet with Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz.
Tensions between Israel and Turkey have heightened in recent years due to the Gaza conflicts and influence in Syria.
Last week, in an interview with CNN Turk, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that Israel "has become a burden that humanity cannot bear," prompting Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar to condemn the remarks as "blatant incitement to genocide," as he put it.