Friedman to ‘Post’: If UAE gets F-35s, it will be in six to seven years

If there is a sale of US F-35 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates, the first planes will only reach the Gulf state in “six or seven years,” said US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman. The Jerusalem Post.

“The Emirates have been trying to get F-35s for six or seven years,” Friedman said. “And the delivery time is probably another six or seven years from now.”

When asked whether the sale would in fact undermine Israel’s QME, Friedman replied: “The QME is a matter of law, not a matter of policy. It has been US law since 2008, and US policy .UU. Much longer than that. “

“Israel has dealt with the QME behind the scenes professionally and successfully for more than a decade; it will continue to function in this way.”

Sources close to the negotiations said Tuesday that the United States and the United Arab Emirates hope to have an initial agreement on the sale of stealth F-35 fighter jets to the Gulf state by Dec. 2.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Defense Minister Benny Gantz held meetings with senior US officials in Washington on security cooperation between Iran and Israel and the United States.

Gantz met with Senior White House Adviser Jared Kushner, US National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien, and US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper.

“Israel is America’s most important partner in the Middle East and the ties between our countries are unbreakable. I am happy to welcome Defense Minister Benny Gantz back to the Pentagon today,” Esper wrote on his Twitter account.

“We commend the efforts of the United States and its commitment to the security of Israel,” Gantz said after meeting with Kushner. “We will work in partnership to promote stability in the Middle East through normalization with other countries.”

The two discussed ways to promote new agreements to ensure stability in the region, while ensuring that the preservation of Israeli security is a basic cornerstone of the process.

Gantz emphasized at the end of the meeting that these historic achievements were led by the US administration, illustrating the importance and friendship between Israel and the United States.

Gantz stressed to O’Brien that Israel would continue to act against the Iranian entrenchment in Syria and the Middle East. He added that Iranian aggression had not stopped during this period either.

When he met with Esper, Gantz was greeted by an official honor guard at the entrance to the Pentagon. The two also discussed Iran and Israel QME.