Trump Says Israel Would Not Survive Without US as He Defends Potential F-35 Sale to Turkey
Updated
Updated · Financial Times · Jul 27
Trump Says Israel Would Not Survive Without US as He Defends Potential F-35 Sale to Turkey
3 articles · Updated · Financial Times · Jul 27
Summary
Ahead of Tuesday’s Washington meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said Israel “would not survive” without US support and brushed off Israeli objections to a possible F-35 sale to Turkey.
Trump framed the comments around widening policy gaps with Netanyahu after pausing US attacks on Iran last Friday following 13 nights of bombing, while his UN envoy said Washington wants to give talks room to work.
Netanyahu is expected to press for broader US action against Iran beyond the Strait of Hormuz and to warn that arming Turkey with F-35s would erode Israel’s regional military edge.
Turkey’s path to the jets remains blocked by US law and sanctions tied to its 2019 purchase of Russia’s S-400 system, even as Trump says Erdoğan is a friend and rejects outside pressure on US arms sales.
The talks are also set to cover Gaza, Lebanon and the Abraham Accords, with Israel signaling support for a multinational Gaza stabilization force as a gesture toward Trump before the meeting.