The Israeli government approved a transfer of nearly NIS 1 billion to the Defense Ministry for an urgent, classified procurement, with the funds set to help purchase a squadron of 12 Apache helicopters for the Israeli Air Force.

Israel has sought the helicopters for several years. In January, the United States approved a potential sale of the Apaches to Israel valued at $3.8 billion.

The funding will be taken from the five-year plan for investment in Israel’s Arab communities. The proposed cuts include NIS 169 million in 2027, NIS 342 million in 2028 and NIS 453 million in 2029.

The approval comes amid reported budget disputes between the Defense and Finance ministries. Recent reports said Israel had missed the deadline to complete the Boeing deal, which could delay delivery by several years as another customer takes Israel’s place.

Defense spending has risen sharply amid the wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran, as well as operations in Yemen, since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack. The military is also seeking to significantly expand its forces following the failures exposed by the attack and the subsequent wars.

The state budget passed in March allocated a record NIS 143 billion to the Defense Ministry, about 17 percent of total government spending. In July, the Finance Ministry said it had agreed to immediately transfer an additional NIS 15 billion to the military, following IDF claims that units were at risk of being grounded.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)