09.07.2026 19:03
US President Donald Trump's green light for Turkey's return to the F-35 program and the lifting of CAATSA sanctions has sparked widespread reactions in Israel. The Israeli press, reflecting Tel Aviv's concerns on its pages, has produced a noteworthy analysis. The assessment emphasized that the Turkish military, with its current military capacity and deterrence, does not rely on F-35 fighter jets to pose a threat to Israel.
The Israeli press highlighted the Tel Aviv administration's concerns following US President Donald Trump's signals about Turkey's return to the F-35 program, assessing that Turkey does not need F-35s to pose a military threat to Israel.
“F-35” AND “CAATSA” ON ISRAEL’S AGENDA
In an analysis by Amine Ayoub published in The Jerusalem Post, it was stated that Trump greenlit Turkey's access to F-35s and the lifting of CAATSA sanctions during the NATO Summit in Ankara.
The analysis, which noted the F-35 issue as this week's main agenda item, emphasized that it would be wrong for "Israeli security planners trying to gauge what Turkey would do if its access to advanced Western technology is expanded" to focus solely on the F-35.
The analysis pointed out that, citing Turkey's actions in Libya as an example, it has achieved significant feats with Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicles and Turkish electronic warfare systems that disrupt Russian-made air defense systems.
“RATHER THAN PROVIDING ANKARA WITH A NEW CAPABILITY...”
Stating that Turkey does not need F-35s to pose a threat to Israel, the analysis emphasized that Ankara has dedicated the last 10 years to building a domestic defense industry infrastructure and is not negotiating from a position of dependence on US equipment, using the phrases: "The F-35 sale would rather confirm and expand a capability Ankara has already developed, tested, and exported, than provide it with a new capability."
IT HAD CAUSED DISCOMFORT IN THE NETANYAHU GOVERNMENT
Signals regarding Turkey's access to F-35s and its potential return to the program had caused discomfort in Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in interviews with major US media outlets, stated their direct opposition to Turkey's access to F-35s.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the Tel Aviv administration is conducting overt and behind-the-scenes efforts to prevent this and is in communication with the Washington administration on the matter.