Officials in Washington and Jerusalem hope to use F-35 fighter jets as a sweetener as part of a broader deal for Saudi relations with Israel.

The crown prince is expected to come to the White House with a wish list that includes receiving formal assurances from Trump defining the scope of the U.S. military protection for the kingdom and an agreement to buy U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets, one of the world’s most advanced aircraft.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told US President Donald Trump on Tuesday that the kingdom wants to join the Abraham Accords but requires “a clear path” to Palestinian statehood before normalizing relations with Israel.

Saudi Arabia has made clear that any normalization agreement must include “a credible, irreversible and time-bound path” toward a Palestinian state

US president Donald Trump fiercely defended Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House on Tuesday, insisting the crown prince did not know about the 2018 killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents, effectively contradicting an assessment by US intelligence agencies.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman surprises Washington with a message on Middle East peace, revealing the one demand Riyadh insists on before joining the Abraham Accords.

Military submits formal position paper to political leadership as Trump announces sale of stealth jets to Riyadh ahead of visit by crown prince The post IDF opposes Saudi F-35 deal, warns Israel’s regional air superiority could be eroded appeared first on The Times of Israel.