In August, the office of Netanyahu issued a statement saying that the Israeli-UAE peace deal did not include Tel Aviv’s consent to US arms deliveries to the UAE. The prime minister was said to oppose deliveries of F-35 fighters and other modern weapons to Arab nations, including those which signed peace deals with Israel.
The New York Times newspaper reported on late Thursday citing its sources that the public statement of Netanyahu’s office was not true. According to the sources, Netanyahu gave up his complaints against the possible arms deal after the talks with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo conducted in Jerusalem last week.
The United States reportedly wants to sell an electronic warfare plane – the EA-18G Growler – to the UAE.
Last month, Israel and the United Arab Emirates reached a landmark agreement, brokered by the United States, to normalize ties, which among other things entails Israel freezing its annexation plans in the West Bank. The countries are planning to sign a variety of agreements for cooperation in investments, tourism, security, and other areas in the coming weeks.
Two main Palestinian movements – Fatah and Hamas – have rejected the agreement.