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Israel warned over arms deals by Seoul

TEL AVIV | 10/6/2011 12:00:00 AM |

South Korea has threatened to cancel all defense deals with Israel if the latter purchases a new training plane from South Korea’s rival Italy in a move that could further isolate Tel Aviv internationally.

South Korea has threatened to cancel all defense deals with Israel if the latter purchases a new training plane from South Korea’s rival Italy in a move that could further isolate Tel Aviv internationally.

A decision on the Israeli military’s new trainers is supposed to be made within a few months, daily Haaretz reported. The deal includes over 20 planes and is worth $1 billion spread over a number of years. The Air Force is considering two planes, an Italian M346 trainer and a South Korean T-50 jet. The force held test flights for both planes earlier this year.

The Italians have a major advantage as Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is a staunch supporter of Israel and his relations with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are very close. In light of Israel’s growing diplomatic isolation, the government sees great importance in preserving Israel’s close relationship with Italy. U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said Oct. 3 that the Arab Spring had left Israel “increasingly isolated,” warning that the military might could not make up for a weakened diplomatic position.