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A former U.S. State Department official said Israel’s efforts to extend its qualitative military edge (QME) framework to Türkiye are “absolutely absurd” and risk undermining NATO’s collective military advantage.
Josh Paul, a former director at the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, said the QME concept was never intended to apply to NATO members such as Türkiye.
Paul said the term qualitative military edge was originally used in the context of NATO to describe the alliance’s advantage over Russia.
“The notion that Israel's qualitative military edge would trump America's military edge, and NATO's qualitative military edge, is just absolutely absurd,” Paul said in an interview with Anadolu Agency.
Paul said U.S. law governing arms transfers defines QME as Israel’s ability to defeat any country in the Middle East, but applies only to states under the State Department’s Near East Bureau, which includes Arab countries and Iran.
He said the framework has never been applied to a NATO member, adding that there is “absolutely no reason” under existing law to apply QME to Türkiye.
Israel has lobbied against the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Türkiye, Paul said, noting that some pro-Israel members of Congress have unsuccessfully attempted to expand QME to include Türkiye or move the country under the Near East Bureau.
Paul said these efforts are aimed at expanding Israel’s influence in Washington rather than advancing U.S. national interests.
Paul said Israel has also opposed the sale of F-35 jets to Saudi Arabia and Qatar to maintain its regional air superiority.
He said U.S. arms transfers in the Middle East require assessments on whether they undermine Israel’s QME, warning that this approach can fuel regional arms races and push countries toward alternative suppliers such as France, China or Russia, weakening U.S. influence.
Paul resigned from the State Department in October 2023 in protest of the Biden administration’s decision to accelerate arms transfers to Israel amid its war in Gaza.
He said the conflict has reshaped U.S. public opinion toward Israel, adding that translating that shift into policy would take time and may require several election cycles.
Paul said he now focuses on advocacy through his organization, A New Policy, engaging lawmakers and candidates ahead of the upcoming U.S. midterm elections.
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