Israel Approves NIS 1 Billion for Defense, Cuts Arab Society Funding
Translated & summarized from Haaretz by baba
The Israeli government approved an additional NIS 1.03 billion for classified defense procurement, to be funded by cuts to the Arab society development plan between 2027 and 2029. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich proposed the plan, which avoids broader ministry budget reductions. The funds are reportedly linked to a potential deal for Apache attack helicopters, with NIS 68 million already diverted this year from surplus funds.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Israel's government approved NIS 1.03 billion for urgent defense procurement.
- The funding will be taken from the Arab society development plan over three years.
- Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich proposed the budget reallocation.
- The cuts to the Arab society plan will total over NIS 965 million from 2027-2029.
- The procurement may be related to a deal for Apache attack helicopters.
- NIS 68 million will be diverted this year from surplus funds.
The Israeli government has approved a decision to allocate an additional NIS 1.03 billion (approximately $275 million) to the defense establishment for "advancing classified procurement." The funding will be sourced from future cuts to the five-year plan for the development of Arab society, spanning from 2027 to 2029. This decision, put forth by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, stipulates that the additional defense funds will not come from across-the-board budget cuts to government ministries.
Specifically, NIS 170 million will be cut from the Arab society development plan in 2027, followed by NIS 342 million in 2028, and NIS 453 million in 2029. An initial NIS 68 million will be diverted to the defense system this year, sourced from surplus funds resulting from lower interest and commission payments.
While the exact purpose of the procurement was not detailed in the decision, recent reports suggest it may be related to a defense warning about the potential cancellation of a deal to purchase Apache attack helicopters. The government's approval came after ministers confirmed the resolution in recent minutes.
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