U.S. keeps Israel out of new fighter-jet development program

Posted on: Oct. 12th, 2005 || Source: haaretzdaily.com | E-mail Article | Print Article

U.S. keeps Israel out of new fighter-jet development program

The United States is continuing to delay Israel's participation in its F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program, despite the resolution of the crisis in the security ties between the two countries, and despite the personnel changes at the Defense Ministry.

The Americans have agreed to renew the activities of a series of committees on security and strategic cooperation that ceased to convene during the crisis period, but the ban on Israel's participation in the JSF program will remain in effect until the Knesset passes new legislation relating to security exports, in keeping with a U.S. demand.

Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz will travel to Washington next month and is expected to ask his U.S. counterpart, Donald Rumsfeld, to remove the remaining barrier affecting the security ties between the two countries. The newly appointed director general of the Defense Ministry, Kobi Toran, will also visit the United States next month, at the head of an Israeli delegation to talks in the framework of the Joint Political-Military Group (JPMG) and the Joint Security Assistance Planning Group (JSAPG).

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