ANKARA — As tensions soar across the Middle East and the power balance within NATO tilts uneasily, Israel has launched a vigorous lobbying campaign to block the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, with support from influential US lawmakers. The effort, described by one Turkish official as a “calculated betrayal by a so-called ally,” has reignited debate over Washington’s double standards and Israel’s outsized influence on US foreign policy.
The move, spearheaded by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and backed by a cadre of Israeli defense officials, seeks to prevent Turkey— a NATO member and key regional actor—from gaining access to the US-made fifth-generation stealth aircraft. Israeli authorities claim the sale could compromise their “qualitative military edge” in the region, despite Turkey’s longstanding partnership with the United States and its prior involvement in the F-35 production consortium.
“We urge Congress to act decisively to block any effort by the administration to reintegrate Turkey into the F-35 program,” an unnamed Israeli official told Ekathimerini.
By mid-May, the campaign had spilled into US domestic politics, with lawmakers publicly warning President Donald Trump against proceeding with the sale. The opposition appears to have coalesced into a joint pressure front—Washington’s hawkish politicians and Tel Aviv’s regional ambitions now moving in tandem.
According to Middle East Eye, Prime Minister Netanyahu personally appealed to US officials and congressional allies to block Turkey’s reentry into the F-35 program, warning that Ankara could “jeopardize the sensitive technologies” embedded in the jet. The report cited diplomatic sources confirming that Israel was “deeply concerned about the potential erosion of its air superiority in the Middle East.”
Behind closed doors, Israeli officials argued that Turkey under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan could share F-35-related intelligence with adversaries such as Iran, further complicating the geopolitical balance. One Israeli defense source reportedly told US counterparts that giving Erdoğan access to the aircraft would be “like handing a loaded weapon to your most unpredictable neighbor.”
“The Turkish regime has close ties with Iran and terrorist groups,” the same official told Kathimerini, “This alone should be sufficient cause for concern.”
The rhetoric took on a more aggressive tone in Defence Security Asia, where Israeli concerns were laid bare. The article explained that “the introduction of the F-35 into Turkey’s air force could dramatically reduce Israel’s operational stealth advantage,” a scenario Israel finds “unacceptable.”
The pressure campaign, Israeli sources acknowledged, is part of a broader strategy to isolate Turkey from advanced Western military platforms, a move Ankara says amounts to economic sabotage and geopolitical marginalization.
Adding fuel to the fire, prominent US lawmakers have joined the effort, echoing Israeli objections almost verbatim. As reported by Turkish Minute, members of Congress cautioned the Trump administration against “rewarding” Turkey with advanced weaponry, citing Erdoğan’s refusal to distance himself from Russia and his embrace of “authoritarian governance.”
“Handing F-35s to Erdoğan is a national security risk,” one lawmaker was quoted as saying. “We don’t want those jets ending up in hostile hands, or worse, reverse-engineered by our adversaries.”
First, in May 2025, the US finalized a massive $142 billion arms package with Saudi Arabia, including advanced missiles, radar systems, and air defense technology, all despite Saudi Arabia’s documented human rights violations in Yemen, according to Reuters. This clearly demonstrates Washington’s willingness to supply authoritarian regimes without concern for misuse or regional instability.
Meanwhile, the US continues to restrict Turkey, a full NATO ally, from accessing the F‑35 on the basis of “trust” after Ankara’s purchase of the Russian S-400. Critics argue this reveals a pronounced double standard: Washington freely arms leaders in Riyadh and elsewhere, yet withholds cutting-edge systems from its own partners. The contrast is stark, and the policy inconsistency is difficult to justify solely on grounds of national security.
“This is not about technology leakage,” said a senior Turkish diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity. “This is about Israel trying to monopolize the skies.”
Analysts suggest the maneuver underscores Israel’s determination to maintain military superiority at any cost—even if it means undermining NATO cohesion. Turkey, which once co-produced parts for the F-35 and invested heavily in its procurement, was formally expelled from the program in 2019 after acquiring the Russian S-400 missile system. Ankara has since lobbied for reentry, citing shifting regional alliances and the need for modern air power amid increasing security threats.
The reentry proposal briefly gained traction earlier this year when senior US defense officials considered conditional re-engagement with Turkey. But Israeli resistance, compounded by domestic political pressure on Trump, appears to have derailed that prospect—at least for now.
Analysts argue that by bending to Israel’s narrow security obsessions, the United States is not only eroding trust within NATO but actively sabotaging the very alliances it claims to uphold. Rather than acting as a unifying force, Washington appears complicit in fragmenting the alliance to appease a regional actor with a history of inflaming tensions. This, critics contend, is not just a strategic blunder, it is a deliberate betrayal of NATO’s foundational principles in service of Western double standards.
Observers warn the controversy may reverberate beyond Ankara and Tel Aviv. If Turkey continues to be denied Western defense technologies, it is likely to deepen its strategic alignment with Russia and China, both eager to expand military cooperation with dissatisfied NATO partners.
Indeed, Erdoğan’s government has already signaled readiness to pursue homegrown alternatives. Turkish Aerospace Industries has unveiled its first indigenous stealth fighter, the KAAN, and has opened dialogues with Moscow over potential jet deals. This pivot away from Western defense systems, compounded by perceived US betrayal, may permanently shift Turkey’s geopolitical trajectory.
“If they don’t want to sell, we’ll build or buy elsewhere,” Erdoğan said bluntly during a televised address.
Critics argue that the broader implications of this episode expose a disturbing truth about the erosion of independent decision-making in Washington. When a foreign state, driven by its own insecurities and regional ambitions, can so easily influence the strategic defense choices of the United States, it signals a deep structural flaw in transatlantic policy.
This is not merely a disagreement over aircraft sales, it reflects a systematic outsourcing of NATO’s internal balance to the whims of a state that often places its self-preservation above the alliance’s collective stability. Allowing such interference not only undermines trust among allies but also emboldens a pattern of manipulation that weakens the very foundations of multilateral defense cooperation.
The escalating fallout may ultimately do more damage to Western unity than any arms transfer could prevent. If Israel continues to use its influence to weaponize US policymaking against allied nations, the credibility of NATO, and Washington’s role within it, will face increasing scrutiny.
