Kushner tries to smooth over F-35 dispute in visits to Israel and UAE
31 August 2020
Abu Dhabi — President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plan to discuss the pending sale of F-35 fighter jets by the U.S. to the UAE, Jared Kushner told reporters on board the first commercial flight from Israel to the UAE, which landed in Abu Dhabi this morning.
Why it matters: The White House has hailed the normalization deal it brokered between Israel and the UAE as a breakthrough for the region — but shortly after the announcement, a major disagreement emerged over UAE's desire to acquire the F-35.
Behind the scenes: Emirati officials considered Netanyahu's public opposition to the deal a violation of the understandings they had reached, and canceled a ceremonial meeting at the UN to show their displeasure.
The backstory: The U.S. has committed to ensuring the regional military superiority of Israel, which is the only country in the region to possess the F-35.
- Kushner and National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien discussed the issue with Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz in Jerusalem on Sunday.
- On Monday's flight, Kushner said Netanyahu has full confidence that Trump will do everything he can to ensure Israel can maintain its qualitative military edge.
- Kushner added that the U.S. has a 30-year security relationship with the UAE, which it intends to enhance while bringing Israel into their security dialogue. "I know Netanyahu sees the great opportunity that was created here," he said.
What to watch: Gantz said publicly after Sunday's meeting that he thinks the U.S. and Israel can find a way to maintain Israel's military superiority even if the deal moves forward.
Transcripts show George Floyd told police "I can't breathe" over 20 times
Section2Newly released transcripts of bodycam footage from the Minneapolis Police Department show that George Floyd told officers he could not breathe more than 20 times in the moments leading up to his death.
Why it matters: Floyd's killing sparked a national wave of Black Lives Matter protests and an ongoing reckoning over systemic racism in the United States. The transcripts "offer one the most thorough and dramatic accounts" before Floyd's death, The New York Times writes.
The state of play: The transcripts were released as former officer Thomas Lane seeks to have the charges that he aided in Floyd's death thrown out in court, per the Times. He is one of four officers who have been charged.
- The filings also include a 60-page transcript of an interview with Lane. He said he "felt maybe that something was going on" when asked if he believed that Floyd was having a medical emergency at the time.
What the transcripts say:
- Floyd told the officers he was claustrophobic as they tried to get him into the squad car.
- The transcripts also show Floyd saying, "Momma, I love you. Tell my kids I love them. I'm dead."
- Former officer Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes, told Floyd, "Then stop talking, stop yelling, it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk."
Read the transcripts via DocumentCloud.