Will Congress pick Qatar over Israel?
To the chagrin of Israel, lawmakers of both parties want the Obama administration to go through with jet sales to Gulf countries.
The Obama administration is under growing bipartisan pressure from Congress to deliver US fighter jets to the Wahhabi Emirate of Qatar over the objections of Israel.
Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., told Al-Monitor that he recently met with national security adviser Susan Rice and urged her to let the proposed sale through. The high-level meeting is but the latest development in an unusual debate that has seen more and more members of the staunchly pro-Israel Congress dismiss Israeli concerns that its security could be threatened by the sales.
"I want the administration to bring forth the Qatar sales, and I've met with the White House toward that end," Corker told Al-Monitor. "I support it and hope that they're going to be forthcoming."
In play are 72 F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft whose sale has been held up for the past two years, in part due to objections from Israel that the sale could erode its so-called Qualitative Military Edge (QME) in the region. Key lawmakers want the sale to move forward regardless, citing US demands that the Gulf countries do more to fight the Islamic State.
