The Israeli government approved Wednesday morning in an urgent telephone poll (expedited cabinet vote) an allocation of billions of shekels (approximately $550 million) for what was defined as an "urgent security acquisition that cannot be delayed." Israel Hayom has learned that the funds are designated for a $1 billion procurement deal for Apache attack helicopters, as well as general procurement for the Defense Ministry.
The budgetary source for the procurement will come from the 2026 budget, through an across-the-board cut of 2–3 billion shekels ($555 million–$833 million) in government ministries, and from budgets for the years 2027–2029. Among other sources, the funds are expected to be drawn from budgets earmarked for the five-year plan in Arab society.
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The defense establishment stated that these funds were already approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but have yet to be transferred. "If the Finance Ministry's way is to bring the money from cuts in other ministries – that is on them. In any case, this is money that was known in advance, and it is not an erupting event that requires emergency action by the Finance Ministry," a senior official in the defense establishment told Israel Hayom.
Israel recently missed the deadline set for ordering 12 attack helicopters, following two previous extensions granted by the US Department of Defense. The procurement of the helicopters forms part of the IDF conclusions regarding the array of threats it will need to address in the coming years. The final deadline for the helicopter procurement passed on Oct. 7 of this year.
