F-16 Fighting Falcon News

March 4, 2004 (by Eric L. Palmer) - An interesting "op-ed" piece from Maariv International about the latest F-16 deal for Israel implies that given the current, even reduced threat that the IDF faces, the money could have been better spent elsewhere.
While the goal of F-16.net is to keep the world up to date on all things "F-16", and is not a world politics forum, this Israeli opinion piece is good food for thought and is an interesting view of how the F-16 is sold. Quoting the article:

"Israel has never been in such a strategically favorable position as it is today. There are peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan. Saddam Hussein is ensconced in a US prison cell. Bashar Assad is barely managing to rule Syria and is trying to figure out how to handle the reality of the new Middle East. Yasir Arafat and the Palestinians are crushed and are crying out for international aid. And the USA is continuing to show steadfast and loyal support for Israel."

The article goes on to opine that cancelling the rest of the F-16 purchase now, would be a good exercise in budget responsibility, considering Israel's current domestic / social needs, and talks at length about what type of threat Iran is, or is not.