A widening strategic divide between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu burst into public view Monday when Trump dismissed Netanyahu’s objections to potentially selling America’s most advanced F-35 stealth fighters to Turkey.
Asked aboard Air Force One about the Israeli leader’s opposition, Trump delivered an unmistakable response:
“Nobody tells me what we should be selling.”
Trump then praised Turkey as a “tremendous ally,” highlighting Ankara’s regional power and role in Syria while acknowledging the obvious tension between Turkey and Israel. Multiple reports published Monday confirm Trump’s remarks.
The dispute is about much more than fighter jets.
It exposes competing American, Israeli and Turkish strategic interests at a volatile moment in the Middle East—and raises the possibility that Washington may fundamentally reshape a military balance Israel has spent decades trying to preserve.
Netanyahu Warns: F-35s Could Change The Middle East
Netanyahu’s objection could hardly have been stronger.
After Trump publicly indicated during the NATO summit in Ankara that he was open to providing F-35s to Turkey, Netanyahu warned that putting fifth-generation stealth fighters into Ankara’s hands could transform the regional military balance.
In a CNN interview earlier this month, Netanyahu said an F-35 sale to Turkey would “destroy the power balance in the Middle East,” arguing that Turkey has aggressive regional ambitions and warning that enhanced military power could produce further aggression.
From Israel’s perspective, the concern is understandable.
The F-35 is not simply another combat aircraft. Its stealth capabilities, sophisticated sensors and networked warfare systems give operators capabilities fundamentally different from those of older fighters.
And Turkey isn’t a distant NATO country with little involvement in the Middle East.
It is a major regional military power under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, whose government has repeatedly clashed with Netanyahu and sharply criticized Israeli policies.
Trump: Turkey Has Been A “Tremendous Ally”
Trump isn’t looking at Turkey exclusively through Israel’s security lens.
He’s looking at Turkey as the president of the United States.
And his comments suggest he sees Erdoğan and Ankara as strategically valuable partners Washington cannot afford to push away.
“Turkey’s been a tremendous ally,” Trump told reporters Monday, while also describing the country as militarily powerful.
Trump acknowledged that Turkey is “not a big fan” of Israel or Netanyahu, but that clearly hasn’t convinced him to close the door on the F-35.
The message to Netanyahu was unmistakable:
American weapons policy will be decided in Washington—not Jerusalem.
That doesn’t necessarily mean an F-35 sale is finalized.
Presidential support is only part of the equation, and major legal and diplomatic obstacles remain.
But Trump’s willingness to publicly reject Netanyahu’s position is itself significant.
The S-400 Problem Hasn’t Simply Disappeared
Turkey was originally a partner in the F-35 program.
That changed dramatically in 2019 after Ankara acquired Russia’s S-400 air-defense system.
Washington feared that operating Russian S-400 systems alongside F-35s could expose sensitive information about the stealth fighter to Russian technology and intelligence.
The United States removed Turkey from the F-35 program, and sanctions followed.
That history makes Trump’s current position remarkable.
As recently as September 2025, Reuters reported that Trump and Erdoğan were discussing defense cooperation, Turkey’s interest in F-35s and the possibility of lifting sanctions connected to the S-400 dispute. Reuters noted that the ultimate fate of the aircraft and sanctions remained unresolved.
So Trump’s rhetoric is important—but Turkey has not simply been restored to the F-35 program by presidential declaration.
Any eventual agreement would still have to overcome the S-400 issue and other U.S. legal and security concerns.
Three Powerful Leaders, Three Different Strategic Visions
At the center of the confrontation are three leaders with very different priorities:
Trump wants maximum American leverage.
Netanyahu wants Israel’s military superiority protected.
Erdoğan wants Turkey restored as a first-tier regional and NATO military power.
Trump’s relationship with Erdoğan adds another dimension.
The two leaders have maintained a personal rapport despite repeated disputes between Washington and Ankara.
Turkey also possesses enormous strategic importance.
It controls access between the Black Sea and Mediterranean through the Turkish Straits, fields one of NATO’s largest militaries, borders Syria and sits geographically between Europe, Russia and the Middle East.
Trump appears unwilling to surrender that strategic relationship simply because Ankara and Jerusalem are adversaries.
Netanyahu And Trump Head Into A High-Stakes Meeting
The dispute comes immediately before Netanyahu’s planned meeting with Trump in Washington.
Trump described their positions as “pretty close” while acknowledging that differences remain.
Turkey appears to be one of them.
Iran is another enormous issue hanging over the talks.
That means Netanyahu arrives in Washington confronting a dramatically complicated strategic environment: Iran, Turkey, Syria, American military policy and Israel’s regional security all intersect.
The F-35 disagreement therefore shouldn’t be viewed as an isolated arms-sale dispute.
It is part of a larger struggle over what the postwar Middle East will look like—and who will dominate it.
Could Turkey’s F-35s Threaten Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge?
For decades, American policy has recognized Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge, intended to ensure Israel can counter credible military threats from regional adversaries.
Turkey creates an unusual dilemma because it is also a NATO ally.
Giving F-35s to another close American partner isn’t inherently unprecedented.
But Israel views Erdoğan’s Turkey differently from many NATO governments because Ankara’s relationship with Jerusalem has become deeply confrontational.
Netanyahu’s argument is therefore straightforward:
Today’s NATO ally could become tomorrow’s military threat.
Trump’s apparent counterargument is equally clear:
America cannot base its relationship with a powerful NATO country entirely upon Israel’s relationship with that country.
Those two strategic philosophies are now colliding publicly.
Turkey Is Building Power With Or Without Washington
There is another factor Israel and Washington must consider.
Blocking Turkey from American military technology does not necessarily stop Turkey from developing military power.
Ankara has spent years expanding its domestic defense industry, including drones, missiles, warships and its indigenous KAAN fighter program.
Turkey has also pursued alternative aircraft, including Eurofighter Typhoons.
The strategic calculation for Washington becomes difficult:
Does excluding Turkey from the F-35 protect American technology and Israel?
Or does prolonged exclusion eventually push Ankara toward alternative defense partnerships and greater strategic independence from Washington?
Trump appears increasingly interested in the second question.
Israel May No Longer Have An Automatic Veto In Washington
Perhaps the most politically significant part of Trump’s statement wasn’t about the aircraft.
It was the assertion of American independence.
“Nobody tells me what we should be selling.”
That language signals something larger about Trump’s approach to the U.S.-Israel alliance.
Trump continues to describe Netanyahu positively and emphasize their successful cooperation.
But alliance does not mean identical interests.
Israel’s government will advocate for Israel.
Turkey’s government will advocate for Turkey.
And Trump’s message appears to be that the American president will decide what advances American interests.
That creates a relationship with Netanyahu that can remain close while becoming increasingly transactional.
The Prophetic Dimension: Turkey, Israel And The Gathering Nations
For Bible prophecy watchers, Turkey’s growing military power and increasingly hostile relationship with Israel carry obvious significance.
Ezekiel 38 describes a future coalition coming against Israel involving Gog of Magog and peoples identified as Meshech and Tubal, alongside Persia and other nations.
Many prophecy teachers have historically associated portions of that coalition with territories encompassing modern Turkey, although interpretations of the ancient geography vary.
Persia, however, is historically associated with modern Iran.
That makes the evolving relationships among Turkey, Iran and Israel particularly noteworthy to students of prophecy.
This does not mean a potential F-35 sale fulfills Ezekiel 38.
Scripture gives no verse saying American stealth fighters will trigger the Gog-Magog conflict.
But the geopolitical trajectory deserves attention.
Turkey is becoming increasingly militarily capable.
Israel remains at the center of Middle Eastern conflict.
Iran remains Israel’s principal regional adversary.
Russia remains deeply involved across Eurasia and the Middle East.
And nations that Scripture places within a future confrontation involving Israel continue to occupy increasingly important positions on the geopolitical chessboard.
Jesus warned believers in Matthew 24 to watch events unfold without being deceived or consumed by fear.
For Christians, watching does not mean assigning a prophetic fulfillment to every headline.
It means recognizing that history is moving somewhere.
A Fighter-Jet Deal That Could Reshape The Region
No final F-35 sale to Turkey has yet been established by Trump’s comments alone.
That’s important.
But presidential intent matters enormously.
Trump has publicly praised Turkey, defended Erdoğan and rejected Netanyahu’s effort to discourage Washington from supplying Ankara with America’s premier stealth fighter.
Netanyahu believes the aircraft could alter the Middle East’s balance of power.
Erdoğan wants Turkey restored to the program.
Trump appears increasingly willing to make that possibility real.
Three leaders.
Three national interests.
One extraordinarily powerful aircraft.
And behind the argument lies a much bigger question:
Who will control the balance of power in the Middle East when the current wars finally end?
News Watchmen will continue monitoring the Trump-Netanyahu talks, Turkey’s F-35 negotiations, the Iran conflict and the rapidly changing military balance across the Middle East.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Did Trump approve an F-35 sale to Turkey?
Trump has publicly expressed support for selling F-35s to Turkey, but his statements do not by themselves constitute a completed sale or Turkey’s full restoration to the program.
Why does Netanyahu oppose Turkey getting F-35s?
Netanyahu argues that Turkey’s regional ambitions and hostile relationship with Israel could make advanced Turkish F-35 capabilities a threat to the Middle East’s military balance.
Why was Turkey removed from the F-35 program?
The United States removed Turkey in 2019 following Ankara’s purchase of Russia’s S-400 air-defense system.
What did Trump say about Netanyahu’s objections?
Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, “Nobody tells me what we should be selling,” while praising Turkey as an important ally.
Why is Turkey important to Bible prophecy watchers?
Some interpreters associate ancient peoples named in Ezekiel 38 with territories that include modern Turkey, making Turkey’s future relationship with Israel an important subject within certain prophetic interpretations.
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