MESOPOTAMIA NEWS DOCU : All the sources for the Israel, UAE F-35 controversy – by  SETH J. FRANTZMAN

The UAE-Israel bilateral agreement to establish normalized relations was announced on August 13, 2020.

Washington Post “access to previously off-limits U.S. weaponry, such as advanced drones.”

New York Times: Dennis Ross, a former Middle East negotiator for Republican and … He said he would expect the U.A.E. to get weapons like advanced drones. [It is known that in 2010 “Emiratis asked Israel to make it up to them by selling them armed drones, US and Arab officials told the New Yorker. However, Jerusalem declined, lest it antagonize the White House, which opposed the sale of armed drones to the UAE, according to the magazine.” Times of Israel.]

Within a day the issue of arms sales became part of the story.  Reuters: “Normalized diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates could pave the way for more U.S. weapons sales to the Gulf Arab country, according to experts.”

A historic Israel-UAE deal (well, technically a statement of intent to try and get a deal) that will create peace through…advanced drone sales? pic.twitter.com/gC6erbrUws

— Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) August 15, 2020

August 17 Haaretz “Just hours after normalization, sources in the Israel defense industry were talking about how the UAE has the potential to offset the loss of sales.”

The New Arab “Israeli firms are eyeing potential arms deals with the UAE.”

August 18

Ynet reported on August 18 by Nahum Barnea “U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is set to sell F-35 fighter jets and advanced drones to the UAE in a secret clause that was part of the agreement to establish diplomatic ties between Israel and the Gulf nation.”

Ynet: “Defense Minister Benny Gantz said Israel’s qualitative military edge in the Middle East must be maintained…’I will support the agreement to forge diplomatic relations with the UAE while preserving Israel’s security interests in the region,’ Gantz said.” [see here and  background on the QME] Times of Israel; ‘Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Tuesday warned that the proliferation of the F-35 fighter jet was “not good for Israel,” following reports that the United States would sell the advanced aircraft to the United Arab Emirates. “It’s not good for Israel that the plane is going around in other places. We need to talk to the Emiratis, to the Americans, and make sure that our security interests are being upheld,” Gantz told reporters in a press conference.’

Calcalist: “Ahidden clause in the much-anticipated agreement to normalize Israel’s ties with the UAE states that in return for advancing diplomatic and commercial relations, the Persian Gulf powerhouse will be allowed to complete a huge arms deal with the U.S., Yedioth Ahronoth reporter Nachum Barnea reported Tuesday, citing American and Emirati officials.” Globes said the US would sell F-35s aswell.

The Netanyahu Doctrine: Peace for F-35s?

— Neri Zilber (@NeriZilber) August 18, 2020

Netanyahu denies report. “The historic peaceagreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates did not include any agreement by Israel to any arms deal between the United States and the United Arab Emirates.”

ידיעות אחרונות פרסמו היום פייק ניוז מוחלט. הנה העובדות והאמת. שתפו.
**
לשכת ראש הממשלה:

״הסכם השלום ההיסטורי בין ישראל לאיחוד האמירויות לא כלל שום הסכמה של ישראל לעסקת נשק כלשהי בין ארה“ב לאיחוד האמירויות.

— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) August 18, 2020

Haaretz, August 18:  Israel had pressured the U.S. to block the sale of the advanced fighter planes in the past, but Israeli sources fear that Netanyahu.

Jason Greenblatt according to Israel’s Army Radio discussed the F-35s: “Full confidencein Trump admin & Israeli govt that they’d never agree to deal that’d put Israel in danger. Whatever happened behind closed doors I’m sure makes sense even though it might look more flexible than what happened in past.” [US policy and UAE background]

Netanyahu says the deal did not includeF-35s – Jerusalem Post.

Ashkenazi “Israel must maintain qualitative military edge.”

#Israel must maintain its qualitative military edge, Defense Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said on Tuesday amid reports that the #UAE would be able to buy F-35 jets from the #US as part of its normalization deal with Israel.

Report by @LahavHarkovhttps://t.co/ZtYWE3jNtA

— The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) August 18, 2020

“The peace agreement with the United Arab Emiratesdoes not include any reference to arms sales and the US has made it clear that it will always take strict care to maintain Israel’s qualitative edge.” – Prime Minister Office.”

Neri Zilber speculates someone is lying, eithersources who told Ynet or PMO, “Best I can tell Greenblatt basically saying there’s chance secret understanding re F-35s exists but that it may have been misinterpreted. Would be classic if Bibi & Dermer led UAE to believe they were getting F-35s despite knowing full well it wasn’t really gonna happen….4 times in last 2.5 months Netanyahu, by his own admission, wrote to Trump admin stating Israel’s continued opposition to sale of F-35s to Mideast states.”

Al-Jazeera “Israel has not softened itsopposition to any American arms sales to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that could diminish its military superiority.”

Jerusalem Post “Netanyahu has pulled such a move before – when he allowed Germany to sell two advanced submarines to Egypt in 2015. The deal was made without the knowledge of then defense minister Moshe “Boogie” Ya’alon and then chief of staff Benny Gantz on the grounds of state security.”

Israel media: Israeli officials request US not sell F-35 fighter aircraft to UAE even after agreement for normalization of relations. (This is US Qualitative Military Edge policy for Israel so it can defeat any possible coalition of Arab states). https://t.co/N0mlOW8sPn

— David M. Witty (@DavidMWitty1) August 17, 2020

Times of Israel: Can Israel hug the UAE without any arms?

VOA: “Israel opposes F-35 sale.” Policy unchanged– Daily Sabah.