Tech-export deal holds up Israeli role in F-35 jet

Published: Jun 09, 2006
Source: www.alertnet.org



TEL AVIV, June 8 (Reuters) - Israel's full participation in a U.S.-led advanced warplane project has been held up as both sides hammer out a deal on limiting the transfer of sensitive military technology, a senior Israeli official said on Thursday.

The Jewish state's role in the multi-billion-dollar F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) project was briefly curbed last year after the Pentagon came out against Israeli arms exports to China, which it argued could threaten U.S. ally Taiwan.

Israel defused the fracas by signing an agreement that its Defence Ministry described as "solving past problems which had seriously harmed relations ... in the area of technological security," and was readmitted to the F-35 project in November.continue..