ByOMRI NAHMIAS
Updated:
WASHINGTON – US President Joe Biden last week announced he will proceed with a Trump-era $23 billion arms sale of F-35 aircraft to the UAE. But on Friday, two Senate Democrats introduced a bill “to reassert Congressional oversight over the sale of sophisticated and mission-critical American military systems.”

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) and Sen. Bob Menendez (D-New Jersey) announced the Secure F-35 Exports Act of 2021, saying it “ensures that any such sale will not proceed to the delivery of aircraft unless and until the President can make detailed certifications to Congress that the United States’ aircraft technology and Israel’s security are fully protected.”

The bill requires that the president provide Congress with a full assessment of the risks before any sale of F-35s “to countries that are not NATO members or Israel, Australia, Japan, South Korea or New Zealand... [including] the critical military and technological military advantage such aircraft provide to the United States Armed Forces.”

It also requires that the president certify “before the provision of F-35 aircraft to a Middle Eastern country other than Israel” that such sale will not compromise or undermine Israel’s qualitative military edge.

“Strong assurances have been made that these aircraft will not be used in activities or operations inimical to the security of Israel, or to the foreign policy and national security interests of the United States,” the bill reads.

A different article requires that “the recipient country has not committed or enabled human rights violations.”

“Congress has an obligation to uphold US policy and ensure that weapons sales to foreign governments don’t undermine Israel’s military edge,” Feinstein said in a statement. “Our bill achieves that goal by restricting sales of the F-35 – our most sophisticated aircraft – until the administration certifies to Congress that the sale complies with that objective. I’m proud to join Sen. Menendez in introducing this bill to solidify Congress’ role in overseeing arms sales.”

Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said: “I remain concerned with the implications of a sale of our most advanced fighter jet given numerous outstanding, unanswered questions about the implications of this sale for US national security, our technology interests, and implications for regional stability including the legal parameters of Israel’s qualitative military edge.

“If the Administration has decided to proceed with this Trump-era deal, then we must enact protections to ensure the incredibly sensitive technology of these aircraft is not compromised by powers hostile to the United States, including making sure the UAE pulls back from its burgeoning relationship with China and other US competitors,” he said.