Israel is not opposing a U.S. plan to sell advanced F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia — but only if the deal is tied directly to the kingdom normalizing relations with the Jewish State, according to two senior Israeli officials.

The timing is critical: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) is expected to meet President Trump at the White House on Tuesday. The potential F-35 sale, a U.S.–Saudi defense pact, and the possibility of historic normalization will be major topics on the table.

Last month, as reported by Axios, Trump told MBS during a phone conversation that with the Gaza war ending, he expects the Saudis to move toward normalization with Israel. On Friday, aboard Air Force One, Trump reiterated to reporters that the issue will be central in his upcoming talks with MBS.

“I hope that Saudi Arabia will be going into the Abraham Accords fairly shortly,” he said.

Trump also confirmed he is considering a weapons deal that would include F-35s.

Behind closed doors, Israeli officials made clear that their approval hinges entirely on normalization.

“We told the Trump administration that the supply of F-35s to Saudi Arabia needs to be subject to Saudi normalization with Israel,” one Israeli official said.

The official warned that handing over advanced jets without receiving diplomatic progress would be “a mistake and counterproductive.”

A second official explained the distinction between Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region: “Unlike the supply of F-35s to Turkey that we strongly oppose, we are less concerned about such weapons system in Saudi Arabia if its part of a regional security cooperation as part of the Abraham Accords, like we have with the United Arab Emirates.”

Israel is currently the only country in the Middle East operating F-35s. Selling them to Saudi Arabia would dramatically shift the regional balance and impact Israel’s long-protected Qualitative Military Edge (QME) — a commitment enshrined in U.S. law since 2008.

In the Abraham Accords of 2020, Israel already agreed in principle to allow the UAE to purchase F-35s, pending American security guarantees. That deal stalled under the Biden administration.

If Saudi Arabia receives F-35s, Israeli officials say similar guarantees would be required.

“It takes minutes for an F-35 to fly from Saudi Arabia to Israel,” one official cautioned. He noted that Israel would insist the jets not be deployed at bases in western Saudi Arabia.

U.S. officials hope for movement during next week’s Trump-MBS summit, but acknowledge wide gaps between the Saudis and Israelis.

The biggest obstacle is Saudi Arabia’s demand that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commit to “a credible, irreversible and time bound path” toward a Palestinian state — something Netanyahu has consistently refused.

Two Israeli officials told Axios they hope Trump will pressure MBS to soften those demands and pave the way for direct three-way talks that could lead to a landmark agreement.

“The Saudis need to change their attitude during this visit. It is important that the Trump-MBS meeting will lead to a clear road map towards normalization,” an Israeli official said.

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