Israel wants F-35 the US doesn't want

Lockheed Martin developed F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jet so expensive that even the US Air Force slashed its initial order to a token quantity. The fighter jet is just too expensive to risk it in combat. Though Israel estimates the price around $80 million, the current cost of F-35 is close to $250 million.
F-35 lacks a combat opponent. Russian MIG jets don’t come close, but cost many times less than F-35 JSF.
It is not inconceivable that Lockheed Martin bribed Israel’s Minister of Defense Barak to purchase the aircraft which the USAF refused.
Israel’s enemies Syrian and Iran, in the meanwhile, buy very good Russian MIG fighter jets and S300 antiaircraft missiles for a fraction of cost of the American weapons.