U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has canceled a planned Israel visit that was expected to include meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, according to a source cited by The Jerusalem Post. The stop had been set against two explosive files, Israel’s alarm over a possible U.S. sale of F-35 stealth jets to Turkey, and the widening U.S.-Iran confrontation after Iranian attacks on commercial shipping near the Strait of Hormuz.

The F-35 issue has become a sharp test of Washington’s commitment to Israel’s qualitative military edge. President Trump signaled in Ankara that he would consider bringing Turkey back into the F-35 track, praising ties with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Netanyahu has warned that giving Ankara the world’s most advanced fighter would damage the regional balance, especially under a Turkish leadership that has repeatedly escalated anti-Israel rhetoric while expanding its regional ambitions.

Turkey was removed from the F-35 program after buying Russia’s S-400 air-defense system, a move U.S. officials said could expose the stealth jet’s sensitive capabilities. That history is why Israeli officials and members of Congress are pushing back hard. For Jerusalem, this is not a routine weapons sale. It is about whether a hostile and increasingly aggressive Turkish government should be handed the same fifth-generation platform that helps protect Israel from Iran and its terror proxies.

The canceled visit does not end the fight. It makes the next move more important. If Washington continues moving toward Ankara, Israel will likely press the White House and Congress to block the deal or secure major safeguards. Either way, the message from Jerusalem is clear, rewarding Erdogan with F-35s would be a dangerous strategic mistake.