Finance Minister Smotrich Accused of Derailing Critical Apache Helicopter Deal for IDF
Translated & summarized from Maariv by baba
Senior Israeli defense officials are accusing Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich of derailing a critical $1 billion deal for Apache attack helicopters for the IDF. They claim Smotrich's ministry used legal arguments regarding election proximity to block the deal, harming national security. Defense sources lamented that the helicopters could have been crucial during the October 7th attacks. Officials now fear Smotrich may obstruct other defense acquisitions.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is accused by defense officials of sabotaging a $1 billion Apache helicopter deal for the IDF.
- Defense sources claim Smotrich's ministry used legal arguments to block the deal due to its proximity to elections.
- The helicopters were deemed crucial for responding to threats, including those seen on October 7th.
- The deal faced payment schedule issues, with Israel seeking to defer payments until 2030.
- Defense officials fear Smotrich may also obstruct other pending defense acquisition agreements.
Senior defense officials are furious with the Ministry of Finance, led by Bezalel Smotrich, for allegedly sabotaging a critical $1 billion deal to purchase Apache attack helicopters for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). These officials claim the Finance Ministry engaged in "a dirty trick" to derail the acquisition, thereby harming Israel's security. The deal, which has been in negotiation for months, faced significant hurdles related to payment schedules, with Israel seeking to defer payments until 2030 due to existing financial commitments. The US had reportedly agreed multiple times to postpone the payment transfer, with $700 million slated for payment after 2030 and the remaining amount requiring the Defense Ministry to secure existing budget sources.
According to defense sources, the Finance Ministry, in an effort to block the deal, consulted the Attorney General, arguing that signing the agreement so close to an election would be improper. This move, they claim, led to the Attorney General's opposition to proceeding with the deal due to its proximity to the elections. A senior defense official expressed outrage, stating, "What the Finance Ministry did was an act of villainy. Smotrich used all his power to harm security, and he succeeded in getting the opposition of the Attorney General on the deal's progress because of its proximity to the elections. The result is that Israel will now not be able to purchase the helicopters that are so important for security."
One defense source drew a parallel to the October 7th attacks, lamenting, "How symbolic that on October 7th, the Finance Ministry under the minister prevented the purchase of helicopters that were so crucial to saving civilians and soldiers on October 7th, 2023." Defense officials are now concerned that the Finance Minister may also obstruct other pending defense deals. The article implies that the helicopters could have been vital in responding to the October 7th attacks.
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