Trump Promises F-35s to Saudis, Israel's 'Qualitative Edge' Suddenly Flexible
Donald Trump has casually announced the US will sell F-35 stealth jets to Saudi Arabia, a move traditionally blocked by the US to maintain Israel’s 'Qualitative Military Edge' (QME) in the region. This QME, enshrined in US law (Foreign Relations Authorization Act of 2008), dictates that any arms sales to other Middle Eastern nations cannot diminish Israel’s technological military superiority. Yet,
the New Arab, among others, reports this development with a detached air, as if a foundational US foreign policy principle isn't being auctioned off. One might wonder if this sudden flexibility on QME for Saudi Arabia—a nation not known for its stellar human rights record or aversion to regional conflicts (see: Yemen)—might have less to do with strategic shifts and more with, say, anticipated arms
deal margins. The very notion that such a significant policy pivot receives little scrutiny beyond 'Israeli concerns' (which, frankly, appear to be consistently overridden for financial gain) really hammers home the transactional nature of US foreign policy, where 'security' often just means 'sales.'