Massive IAF aircraft deal remains stuck as Israel goes to elections

An arms deal worth billions of dollars between the Defense Ministry and the United States for new fighter jets and helicopters remains stuck as Israel goes to a fourth round of elections within two years.The deal is currently facing hurdles due to disagreements between the Defense and Finance ministries over the payment method and due to the government’s failure to approve a budget for the country. A budget will be passed, at the earliest, in the middle of 2021.In October, Finance Ministry legal adviser Avi Mesing sent a letter to Deputy Attorney-General Meir Levin, citing legal issues with the advancement of the deal. According to a Walla News report, Mesing blamed the Defense Ministry for trying to establish a “parallel mechanism” that would have allowed it to receive a loan and bypass the spending limit that was set for it by law.A Defense Ministry source told The Jerusalem Post on Monday that there is no progress on the deal and that it remains stuck.“There’s nothing new about it,” the source said.Last month, Defense Ministry director-general Amir Eshel warned that continued postponement of the deal undermines Israel’s security. He blamed the lack of a budget as being a major hurdle blocking its advancement.He then said that the ministry cannot wait any longer, because if there is no budget by the end of the year, it will be operating on a partial budget from 2020, which is already running on a budget from 2019.

The IDF, he said at the time, “urgently” needs new aircraft to replace Israel’s aging fleet of Re’em Boeing 707 refueling tankers, which are close to 60 years old, as well as the Yasour heavy-lift helicopters that are almost 50 years old. In addition, the IAF desperately needs to upgrade its fighter jet fleet and is said to be eyeing a combination of F-35s and upgraded F-15s.“There is no country in the world that flies platforms that are this old,” Eshel said at the time. “To fly a re-fueler or a helicopter with more than 50 soldiers inside is not trivial. These are non-trivial risk levels.“If God forbid something happens, what would we say to ourselves?” he asked. “Our operational and safety needs are paramount. There is no other way to present it.”Another question that hovers over the issue is whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz will find a way to work together to advance the deal during the election period. For the deal to be approved it would need to be brought to the cabinet – and that would require agreement by Gantz and Netanyahu, who need to jointly set the agenda.It is believed that Gantz would like to advance the deal during his term – and make the upgrade of the IDF one of the significant achievements during his short tenure.Anna Ahronheim contributed to this report.Source