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Israel Security Establishment Accuses Finance Minister of Scuttling Apache Helicopter Deal
Senior Israeli defense officials have accused Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and his ministry of sabotaging a critical 1 billion dollar deal to purchase 12 Apache attack helicopters for the IDF. The agreement, which was part of a ten-year, 350 billion shekel rearmament plan, collapsed after the signing deadline passed on the night of Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
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What happened
- 01Defense officials accused Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich of blocking a 1 billion dollar deal to purchase 12 Apache helicopters for the IDF.
- 02The signing deadline for the helicopter acquisition passed without completion on the night of Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
- 03Defense sources claim the Finance Ministry used legal arguments regarding upcoming elections to prompt the Attorney General to oppose the deal.
- 04The Finance Ministry denied the accusations, claiming the security establishment violated budget laws by altering the plan after its approval.
- 05The 12 helicopters were part of a larger, ten-year, 350 billion shekel military procurement plan approved by the Ministerial Committee on Security Affairs.
- 06Defense officials warned that the cancellation harms national security and may jeopardize other pending arms procurement agreements.
According to defense sources, the Finance Ministry used legal arguments regarding the proximity of upcoming elections to block the deal, consulting the Attorney General who subsequently opposed proceeding. The defense establishment had prioritized the acquisition to bolster its helicopter fleet, noting that the shortage of attack helicopters was keenly felt during the October 7, 2023, terror attacks. The deal faced complications over payment schedules, with Israel seeking to defer 700 million dollars of the cost until after 2030.
In response, the Finance Ministry denied obstructing the acquisition. The ministry stated that the security establishment had altered the agreed-upon plan after its initial approval, thereby violating budget laws. Defense officials expressed outrage over the cancellation, warning that the decision harms national security and could derail other pending military procurement agreements.
Summarized by baba from the reports of 3 newsrooms. Updated
Latest report: i24NEWS Arabic. Read i24NEWS Arabic’s originalThe coverage
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