The Takeaway: Did Israeli PM help break deadlock over US weapons sale to UAE?
Also: The Gulf and climate; Syrian refugees return from Belarus; Israel expands Golan settlements; Egypt wants assurances on gas pipeline; China-Ethiopia ties unsettle Egypt; Iran threatens sanctions on US; Building Sharjah … all in less than 1,200 words!
Hot take: Bennett, MBZ reportedly talked about F-35s, as well as Iran
Moving forward: Less than 24 hours after The Wall Street Journal broke the story of how the United Arab Emirates threatened to pull out of a $23 billion weapons deal with the United States, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Dec. 15 that the United States is prepared to "move forward" with the sale if the UAE is.
Israel’s edge: All sales of US weapons systems, especially premium products like F-35 fighter jets, go through a rigorous review to keep the most sophisticated US technology under tight controls. Arms sales to Arab countries have an additional test: They cannot challenge Israel’s "qualitative military edge" in the region. Blinken, in announcing that the Biden administration was prepared to go ahead with the deal, said "a full review" had been conducted of the package to assure Israel’s "QME."
Bennett offers an assist: The day before the UAE threat to withdraw from the arms deal, Israel Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ) in the UAE capital. And the conversation was not just about Iran and joint ventures to advance the Abraham Accords.
