Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen said that Israel will oppose any sale of U.S. F-35 stealth fighter jets to Qatar due to Israel’s need to maintain its military edge in the region.

Cohen’s remarks on Army Radio came days after reports that Qatar has submitted a formal request to the U.S. to acquire the jets. When asked if Israel would oppose the Gulf state’s request, Cohen responded: “The answer is yes. Israel’s security and military superiority in the region is vital, it has not yet turned into Switzerland.”

The U.S commitment to preserve Israel’s qualitative military edge (QME), which is bound in law, has thwarted the U.S. to date from selling the F-35s to any Arab state. However, that fact is expected to change since the Abraham Accords deal between Israel and the UAE included a side deal in which the U.S. agreed to consider selling the jets to the Gulf state.

However, there is a world of difference between the UAE and Qatar, which maintains links with Hamas and other extremist groups. And although US and Qatar maintain close ties, with the US maintaining its largest military facility in the Middle East in Doha, a U.S agreement to sell the jets to Qatar would damage its relations with Saudia Arabia, the most powerful Gulf state. Saudia Arabia, along with Bahrain, the UAE and Egypt cut ties with Qatar in 2017, citing Doha’s support for extremist groups such as Hamas and its close relationship with Iran.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz, armed with a munitions “shopping list,” traveled to Washington last month for meetings with his U.S. counterpart Mark Esper on preserving Israel’s qualitative military edge in the Middle East.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)