Israel Offered More F-35 Fighter Jets at Pentagon Meeting, Ashkenazi Says
U.S. Offers Additional F-35 Fighters to Israel
Lockheed Martin/US Air Force via Bloomberg
A F-35 Lightning II fighter jet.
A F-35 Lightning II fighter jet. Source: Lockheed Martin/US Air Force via Bloomberg
The U.S. has offered Israel additional F-35 fighter jets, Israel’s military chief of staff, Lieutenant General Gabi Ashkenazi, said today.
The Israeli general’s comments, at a Pentagon meeting with the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Michael Mullen, is the first public statement confirming news reports that the U.S. has offered additional Lockheed Martin Corp. F-35s as part of a diplomatic effort to revive direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
The offer is “still under negotiation,” Ashkenazi told reporters. “We’d be more than happy to get them.”
The U.S. has proposed that Israel freeze West Bank settlement construction for 90 days in exchange for the 20 warplanes and a pledge to block any independent attempt by Palestinians to declare statehood in the United Nations, diplomats familiar with the deal have said. Peace talks stalled after a previous settlement moratorium ended Sept. 26.
“We continue to work with the parties to create conditions for a resumption of direct negotiations,” U.S. State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said in an e-mail.
“On the Israeli side, we know that security is a paramount concern and we remain committed to help ensure Israel’s security,” Crowley said. “Beyond that, we will not comment on our current discussions with the parties.”
The aircraft would be in addition to 20 jets the Israeli government contracted in October to buy for about $2.8 billion.
Lockheed Martin spokesman John Kent said in an e-mail that delivery of the initial order is scheduled for completion in 2017.
To contact the reporter on this story: Tony Capaccio in Washington at acapaccio@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Mark Silva at msilva34@bloomberg.net;
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