JERUSALEM
Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon and U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel have finalized a deal for a new squadron of U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets for Israel, Israeli media has reported.
According to Israeli radio, the purchase deal was finalized during a visit by Ya'alon to Washington earlier this month.
The media report provided no further details about the agreement.
Earlier this month, Ya'alon had stressed the importance of Israel's relations with the United States following criticisms by Israeli Economy Minister Naftali Bennett of recent comments by U.S. State Secretary John Kerry in which the latter linked the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) militant group.
"The United States is helping Israel in a variety of areas, [including]… matters of security," Ya'alon had said.
"We must remember this and be grateful for it and the [U.S.] leaders," he added, going on to describe security cooperation between the two countries as "intimate" and "unprecedented."
By Abdel-Raouf Arnaout
www.aa.com.tr/en
