President Trump welcomed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White House Tuesday where the two leaders unveiled billions of dollars in deals, reports the Associated Press. Even ahead of Prince Mohammed's arrival, Trump announced that he has agreed to sell the Saudis F-35 fighter jets.
The decision was announced despite some concerns within the administration that the sale could lead to China gaining access to the U.S. technology behind the advanced weapon system. Concerns have also arisen from Republicans about Israel losing its military edge over the surrounding countries.
Trump, however, sees this deal as a way for Israel and Saudi Arabia to normalize relations and bring greater stability to the Middle East. During his first term, he helped diplomatic ties between Israel, Bahrain, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates through the Abraham Accords, and he is currently trying to get Saudi Arabia to sign on.
Bishop Derek Jones is a retired Air Force fighter pilot who now serves as executive director of the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty.
"I think the concerns with Saudi Arabia are legitimate, but there are caveats to it. Obviously, there's concern about the military balance of Israel and Saudi Arabia having F-35. I don't think there's a problem as long as the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel can continue," states Jones.
Jones reminds people that it is important to note that the Saudis are not getting the same F-35’s that the U.S. has.
"I have no idea what modifications they might make to the aircraft to remove any of the advanced stealth technology that exists within them, but I am certain that that's in the game plan for any foreign sale that we would do," says Jones.
Jones states that it is a mixed bag.
"I sit on the fence. I understand the concerns, but at the same time, when you look at the larger geopolitical picture, some people can look at this and say this was a smart move by President Trump to make this sale," concludes Jones.
