Israel Considers Shifting Funds From Arab Community Budget for Apache Helicopter Deal
Translated & summarized from Al-Shams by baba
The Israeli government is considering a proposal to transfer over 1 billion shekels from budgets allocated for the Arab community's development to the Ministry of Defense. This funding is reportedly intended to facilitate the purchase of 12 Apache helicopters from Boeing, a deal that has faced delays. The move follows previous diversions of funds from the Arab community's budget to security forces, which have drawn legal challenges. The final decision on the proposal is pending.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Israel's government is reviewing a proposal to shift over 1 billion shekels from Arab community budgets to the Defense Ministry.
- The funds are reportedly linked to a stalled deal to purchase 12 Apache helicopters from Boeing.
- The proposal involves diverting funds designated for interest payments from 2026 to 2029.
- This potential transfer follows previous diversions of funds from the Arab community's development plan to security agencies.
- A petition has been filed with the Supreme Court against a prior July 2026 fund transfer.
- The outcome of the vote on the current proposal is still pending.
The Israeli government is reviewing a proposal from the Finance Minister that could redirect approximately 1.032 billion shekels from budgets designated for the development of the Arab community to the Ministry of Defense. This move is reportedly linked to a stalled deal to purchase 12 Apache helicopters from Boeing, valued at around $1 billion. The helicopter deal faced delays due to unmet deadlines for payment and agreement finalization, with Boeing reportedly considering selling the aircraft to other clients.
The proposed funding shift involves specific amounts allocated for interest payments over several years: 68 million shekels for 2026, 169 million shekels for 2027, 342 million shekels for 2028, and 453 million shekels for 2029. The bulk of these transfers, totaling about 964 million shekels from 2027 to 2029, would be drawn from the five-year plan for developing the Arab community, thereby reducing resources for its programs.
This potential diversion follows previous transfers from the Arab community's development budget to security entities. In December 2025, around 220 million shekels were moved, and in July 2026, approximately half a billion shekels were allocated to the police and Shin Bet. A petition has been filed with the Supreme Court against the July transfer.
The proposal is not yet final, and it does not explicitly mention the Apache deal, referring instead to classified security purchases. However, Israeli media reports have connected the proposed fund transfers to the helicopter acquisition. The outcome of the vote on the proposal remains undetermined.
