Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu is strongly opposing the possibility of the United States approving the sale of F-35 stealth fighter jets to Turkey after President Donald Trump indicated he is considering allowing the transaction to move forward.

Speaking in an interview with CNN, Netanyahu argued that arming Turkey with America’s most advanced fighter aircraft would destabilize the Middle East and strengthen a government he said has repeatedly taken hostile positions toward both Israel and the United States.

“Turkey is not a friendly state to the US,” Netanyahu said, describing the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as “a regime that’s infected with the Muslim Brotherhood, which hates the US.”

The prime minister also criticized Erdogan personally, saying the Turkish leader cannot be viewed as a dependable American ally while continuing to threaten Israel’s existence.

Calling Erdogan “not exactly a model ally of the US,” Netanyahu noted that the Turkish leader has repeatedly threatened Israel. “He threatens to destroy my country, the one and only Jewish state,” the Prime Minister said.

Netanyahu’s comments come against the backdrop of escalating diplomatic tensions between Israel and Turkey. Just last week, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan declared that Israel had “become a burden that humanity can no longer bear,” prompting Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar to condemn the remarks as “textbook incitement to genocide.”

Warning of the broader implications of a potential arms sale, Netanyahu said providing Ankara with F-35 fighter jets would upset the region’s military balance and encourage further aggression.

“This is not a force for peace and stability. When you give them that power, you’re going to see aggression in its wake,” he said, adding that he had personally urged President Trump not to proceed with the sale because it would “destroy the power balance in the Middle East.”

Trump, who is in Turkey for the NATO summit, has suggested he may lift the restrictions on F-35 sales to Ankara that were put in place during his first administration. The president has also described Turkey as an “extraordinary” ally of the United States.

Despite their disagreement over the issue, Netanyahu rejected claims that the dispute reflects a broader breakdown in his relationship with Trump, emphasizing that the two leaders continue to pursue many of the same strategic objectives.

“He’s the President of the United States. He does what is good for the United States,” Netanyahu said. “I’m the Prime Minister of Israel. I do what is important for Israel, and most of the time these things are identical.”

Turning to Iran, Netanyahu said it remains too soon to determine whether the ceasefire arrangement between the United States and Iran will endure. While expressing skepticism that diplomacy alone can permanently stop Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, he said Trump should be given the opportunity to pursue a negotiated solution. Although Netanyahu has previously opposed international nuclear negotiations with Iran, he stopped short of directly criticizing the current agreement.

The prime minister also addressed the growing erosion of Democratic support for Israel, criticizing New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani over his statements regarding Israel and accusing Rep. Haley Stevens of seeking to rationalize antisemitism. Netanyahu rejected claims that his own policies are responsible for declining American support, instead arguing that social media has been a major driver of anti-Israel sentiment.

Addressing violence committed by Jewish extremists in Judea and Samaria, Netanyahu characterized those involved as a small number of “juvenile delinquents” and said such attacks are unacceptable. He stated that Israeli law enforcement and security agencies actively pursue those responsible but argued that Israel’s courts have not imposed sufficiently tough punishments on convicted offenders.

{Matzav.com}