Israeli Finance Ministry Seeks Budget Cuts to Revive Apache Helicopter Deal
Translated & summarized from NEWSru Israel by baba
Israel's Finance Ministry will ask the Knesset to approve budget cuts across all ministries to fund urgent defense needs, aiming to revive a stalled Apache helicopter deal. The $300 million dispute with the Defense Ministry and Boeing led to the deal's collapse. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision is awaited on the estimated 1 to 3 billion shekel cuts, with legal approval also needed before the upcoming elections.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- The Finance Ministry seeks Knesset approval for emergency budget cuts across all ministries.
- The goal is to fund urgent defense spending and revive a failed Apache helicopter deal.
- A dispute over $300 million between the Finance and Defense ministries stalled the deal.
- Boeing announced it would offer the helicopters to other buyers on October 7.
- Cuts are estimated between 1 to 3 billion shekels, pending Prime Minister Netanyahu's decision.
- Legal approval is required for budget reductions shortly before elections.
Israel's Ministry of Finance plans to ask the Knesset to approve a budget cut across all government ministries in an emergency session less than two weeks before elections. The funds freed up will be allocated to urgent defense spending, including an attempt to salvage a recently failed deal to purchase 12 Apache helicopters. The deal collapsed when the Ministry of Defense did not sign the contract or transfer funds for the order, despite Boeing extending the deadline three times. A dispute between the Finance and Defense ministries over approximately $300 million (about 1 billion shekels) of the deal's cost led to the impasse. Boeing announced on October 7 that it would offer the helicopters to other buyers on its waiting list. As no funds for the purchase are currently allocated in the state budget, the Finance Ministry is seeking to secure payment sources if the deal can be revived. The ministry anticipates a decision from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the size of the cuts, estimated to be between 1 to 3 billion shekels. A legal opinion is also required to determine the permissibility of reducing ministry budgets so close to an election.
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