OPINION:
Is it safe to put sophisticated American weapons — such as F-35 fighter-bombers — in the hands of an Arab dictatorship such as Saudi Arabia (“From ‘pariah’ to honored guest: Saudi Arabia’s crown prince heads to the White House,” Web, Nov. 17)?
The historical record points to three dangers that raise questions about the wisdom of the current proposal to provide these jets to the Saudis. The first is that Saudi Arabia’s current dictator could be overthrown and replaced by someone hostile to America and Israel. The Islamic Arab world is legendary for its revolutions and violent coups.
The second danger is that the Saudis could, for whatever reason, decide to transfer some of those planes to another country. In 1982, during Israel’s war against the Palestine Liberation Organization in Lebanon, it was widely reported that among the weapons Israel seized were U.S.-made M-16 rifles that had been sold to Saudi Arabia.
The third danger is that the Saudis themselves may turn against Israel. The precedent is Jordan. In the 1960s, the Kennedy and Johnson administrations insisted that King Hussein was “moderate” and should be given advanced American weapons. Then the “moderate” decided to join the Arab war against Israel in 1967.
MOSHE PHILLIPS
National chairman, Americans For A Safe Israel
New York, New York
Please read our comment policy before commenting.