Israel Accelerates Procurement of Apache Helicopters

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/434611

Israel to acquire 12 advanced Apache attack helicopters from US

Following government approval, Israel's Defense Ministry moves to finalize an agreement with the Pentagon for 12 Boeing Apache Echo helicopters, with deliveries expected early next decade.

The Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMOD) announced Wednesday that it is moving forward with an agreement to purchase 12 advanced Apache attack helicopters from American aerospace manufacturer Boeing, following approval by the Israeli government.

IMOD Director General Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Baram instructed the ministry's mission to the United States to sign the agreement with the Pentagon.

The helicopters will be the AH-64E Apache, also known as the "Echo" variant, the newest and most advanced version of the attack helicopter. Deliveries are expected to begin early in the next decade.

According to the Defense Ministry, the agreement was developed through a joint Israeli-American effort to meet Israel's specific defense requirements. The ministry's mission to the United States and its Budget Department led the negotiations and established the framework for implementing the procurement.

Defense Minister Israel Katz welcomed the agreement, describing it as a significant investment in the IDF's future operational capabilities.

"The procurement of the Apache helicopters is a critical step in the IDF's force buildup, one that will strengthen its operational capabilities against a wide range of threats and contribute to the security of the State of Israel in the years to come," Katz said.

"The Israeli defense establishment invested considerable effort and acted with determination to overcome the challenges and complete this agreement, out of a deep understanding of its importance in ensuring the IDF's strength and readiness for future challenges."

Katz thanked the US administration and the Pentagon for their cooperation, as well as the Defense Ministry personnel involved in securing the agreement, led by Baram.

Baram emphasized that the agreement was achieved through close coordination between Israeli and American defense officials.

"The execution of the Apache agreement was made possible thanks to creative solutions we developed together with our American partners, without compromising operational needs," Baram stated.

"This professional work with the U.S. administration reflects the depth of our strategic relationship and the mutual commitment to Israel's security."

Baram added that the ministry is pursuing further procurement agreements as part of its broader military buildup plans.

"The IMOD will continue to work at full pace to sign additional critical agreements, including the acquisition of additional platforms, munitions, interceptors, and more."

He explained that these efforts are intended to ensure immediate military readiness while advancing the Defense Ministry's decade-long force buildup plan.

Boeing Israel President Maj. Gen. (Res.) Ido Nehushtan also welcomed the agreement, highlighting the company's longstanding role in supplying equipment to Israel's defense establishment.

"Boeing has been a trusted partner of Israel in building and advancing the country's national defense capabilities since its earliest days, and we are proud to continue serving as a leading supplier of fighter aircraft, helicopters, munitions and other equipment in the future," Nehushtan said.

He noted that Israel's decision to purchase the Apache E follows its selection of Boeing's KC-46A aerial refueling aircraft and the decision to acquire a second squadron of F-15IA fighter jets.

Nehushtan said these procurement decisions demonstrate the operational capabilities of Boeing's platforms and their ability to address emerging security challenges.

"Boeing will work in close cooperation with the Government of Israel to provide the Israeli Air Force with the world's most advanced and capable attack helicopters."

The Defense Ministry also expressed appreciation to the US administration for its continued support of Israel's security requirements.

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/434611

Israel cuts 1B from Arab communities for defense spending

The government is expected to approve the transfer of more than NIS 1 billion to accelerate payments for Israel’s Apache attack helicopter procurement deal, with most of the funding coming from cuts to the five-year development plan for Arab society.

Arab sector funding diverted to Apache purchase

The government was preparing to allocate NIS 3.5 billion on Wednesday for urgent defense procurement, including a roughly NIS 1 billion deal to purchase Apache helicopters, The Jerusalem Post confirmed earlier on Wednesday.

The Finance Ministry told the Post that close to NIS 1 billion used for the Apache helicopter purchase would be diverted from funds earmarked for a five-year plan to develop Israel’s Arab sector. 

Palestinian terror suspect caught filming Bnei Brak light rail

 

Separately, IDF soldiers arrested four Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists who were planning an attack in northern Samaria.

(Oct. 13, 2026 / JNS)

The Israel Police said on Tuesday that it had arrested a Palestinian suspected of past involvement in terror attacks who was in Israel illegally, posed as a citizen and filmed inside a light-rail station.

Security guards at the Aharonovich station in the central city of Bnei Brak spotted the man on Monday morning and called police to the scene.

The suspect first gave them an Israeli ID number and claimed he lived in Tayibe, an Arab city in central Israel, according to the force.

Further checks showed he had given false details and had been involved in “past security incidents,” police said.

“The suspect, 32, a resident of Judea and Samaria, who was allegedly involved in carrying out terror attacks against Israeli targets, was arrested and transferred for questioning at the Bnei Brak station,” the police statement added.

He was set to be brought before the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday for a hearing on extending his detention.

Meanwhile, Israel Defense Forces soldiers earlier this week arrested four Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists who were planning an attack in northern Samaria, the military said on Tuesday.

The arrests took place in the villages of Qabatiya and Arraba, near the Palestinian city of Jenin. They were based on Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) intelligence, according to the IDF.

In a separate raid in the Beit Rima area, northwest of Ramallah, soldiers detained a suspect involved in arms trafficking.

The terrorists were handed over to security forces for further questioning, the IDF said.

Two Palestinians arrested for attacking Jewish shepherd

On Monday, Israel Police detained two Palestinians on suspicion of assaulting and lightly wounding a 15-year-old Jewish shepherd near the Michtam LeDavid Farm in the Binyamin region of Samaria, the force said.

IDF troops dispersed those involved before police arrived. Officers then detained the suspects based on testimony taken at the scene.

The suspects were taken to a police station for questioning, according to the statement.

Magen David Adom told JNS that the teenager sustained minor injuries in the attack. MDA medics examined him at the scene, and he did not need to be taken to a hospital, a spokesman said.

Also on Monday, the IDF said that troops arrested a suspect wanted for terrorist activity in Samaria and discovered an M16 rifle and ammunition hidden behind a washing machine in his home.

The operation was carried out by Nahal troops from the 931st Battalion, operating under the Samaria Regional Brigade, according to the IDF.

Yesha Council chief warns Supreme Court ruling could lead to another Oct. 7

Yesha Council chairman Yisrael Ganz on Monday condemned an Israeli Supreme Court decision concerning the return of displaced Palestinians to camps in northern Samaria, warning that it could lead to another Oct. 7, 2023-style attack.

“The High Court is harming Israel’s security, bringing about the next Oct. 7 with its own hands, in Netanya, Kfar Yona and Afula,” he said in a Hebrew-language statement.

The court on Sunday requested that the state provide timelines for measures that could allow residents to return to the Jenin, Tulkarem and Nur Shams camps, where Israeli forces have conducted extensive counterterrorism operations. The judges did not order their immediate return and gave the state until Nov. 23 to respond.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also serves as an additional minister within the Israeli Defense Ministry, with authority over civil affairs in Judea and Samaria, also criticized the decision, calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz to instruct the IDF not to cooperate with the court or allow what he called “terror camps” to be reestablished.

https://www.jns.org/news/israel-news/palestinian-terror-suspect-caught-filming-bnei-brak-light-rail

EU Corruption Scandals

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/434387

Why multiple EU corruption scandals matter for both America and Israel

The dim view that both Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu have of the EU appears to be affirmed by a procession of high-level corruption scandals that have erupted recently.

Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu have like-minded views on a good range of topics, including the rather dim view each of them has on the European Union and its Brussels-based institutions.

Indeed, the relationship both the Trump administration and the Netanyahu government have with the EU and its affiliated institutions can be charitably described as “strained."

Double dim views

In his previous term in office, Trump described the European Union “as a foe," established “to hurt the United States on trade." He reiterated the charge at a 2025 cabinet meeting but in somewhat “earthier" terms, declaring: “The European Union was formed in order to screw the United States. That’s the purpose of it, and they’ve done a good job of it."

In July this year, Trump took strong steps to transition from sentiment to action, launching an immediate Section 301 investigation against the EU, accusing the bloc of "robbing" American companies by inappropriately imposing antitrust penalties on them.

The friction between the two powers edged up a notch when Trump issued an additional trade warning, threatening "very serious tariffs" or a complete halt in trade on certain items over an EU proposal to make Canada its first "associate member." Trump sternly condemned the proposal as a “hostile economic act" against the US, asserting: “I will put very serious tariffs or stop trading with Europe on many things."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu views the major European Union institutions as inherently hostile and hypocritical toward Israel. Indeed, he publicly denounced the EU’s foreign policy as "absolutely crazy," arguing that the EU is the only international body that conditions economic, security, and technology relations on political concessions regarding the Israeli-Palestinian Arab conflict. Moreover, he often rebukes Brussels for what he terms a "deep moral weakness" and a strategy of appeasement toward radical Islamic terrorism and antisemitic political pressures. Netanyahu routinely accuses EU institutions in Brussels of applying double standards against Israel while ignoring grave human rights violations by other adversarial regimes in the Middle East.

Qatargate in Brussels

Clearly, neither is likely to “shed a tear" over events that undermine the standing of the EU and its associated institutions.

It is thus pertinent to note that over the last few decades, EU institutions have been rocked by several high-profile scandals involving bribery, foreign influence, and internal mismanagement that have damaged the EU’s international reputation.

One of the most damaging corruption scandals in the European Parliament's history, dubbed the Qatargate Affair, erupted in 2022 and exposed illicit foreign lobbying at the highest levels of EU governance. Belgian authorities alleged that the governments of Qatar and Morocco used large cash bribes and luxury gifts to sway EU policies, quash critical resolutions on human rights, and push for visa-free travel perks.

The legal proceedings are still ongoing, but some, including a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and a senior European Parliament employee-have already admitted guilt. Moreover, at least 10 individuals have been formally indicted/charged in Belgium with corruption, money laundering, and participation in a criminal organization, including five serving or former MEPs. Investigations are still ongoing, with an additional arrest of a high-ranking EU official being made in July 2026.

Chinagate in Brussels?

Another scandal strongly reminiscent of Qatargate is that involving the Chinese tech giant Huawei and accusations of it running a covert bribery and lobbying operation within the European Parliament. Referred to as "Huaweigate" it has spurred a major cash-for-influence investigation by Belgian authorities centering on the corporation trying to circumvent a ban on its access to Europe’s 5G infrastructure market. The ban was based on the fears of Western intelligence services that allowing an adversarial power a central role in a vital segment of Europe’s communications system constituted an unacceptable risk.

So, while Qatargate was about a foreign government buying good publicity, Huaweigate entailed (potentially hostile) foreign control over critical communications infrastructure.

But the procession of EU malfeasance and financial shenanigans did not end with these two scandals. Quite the opposite. The political landscape is peppered with examples of behavior unbecoming by senior EU officials--incumbent or former. For example, a major procurement fraud and corruption investigation resulted in the brief detention of high-level EU officials who are still suspects in the case. Likewise, a former European Justice Commissioner[sic] was officially charged last October with money laundering, with legal proceedings still ongoing

Pot calling the kettle black?

While Brussels often sets high anti-corruption benchmarks for member states, these grave recent events have damaged the EU’s reputation and exposed major system-wide vulnerabilities within the European Parliament and the European Commission-ironically in very areas where the EU claims particular authority-rule of law, transparency, anti-corruption and resistance to foreign interference.

The most serious problem is that of credibility and perceived hypocrisy, since the EU routinely conditions aid, trade privileges and accession progress on governance, judicial independence and anti-corruption standards. The scandals exposed high-ranking EU officials as guilty, or suspected, of accepting benefits in exchange for influence from foreign governments, while revealing weaknesses in EU guardrails against foreign influence and undermining confidence in Europe's anti-corruption system.

For both Trump and Netanyahu, these are probably positive developments, as they will almost certainly diminish the stature and moral authority of an entity they perceive as largely adversarial and uncooperative with policies they are striving to advance.

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/434387

Analysis ‘Short and forceful': The IDF’s war plan if Palestinian Authority forces turn their guns on Israel

 

Former Israeli defense officials assess the risks behind the defense minister’s directive ordering the IDF to prepare for a possible armed clash with the P.A.

(Oct. 13, 2026 / JNS)

The Israel Defense Forces have been ordered to prepare for a scenario in which Palestinian Authority security forces and the Fatah-affiliated Tanzim organization “turn their guns” against Israeli civilians and IDF troops in Judea and Samaria, a move that would trigger a full-scale Israeli offensive, Defense Minister Israel Katz told ministers at the weekly Cabinet meeting last week.

“In such a case, war would be declared against the Palestinian Authority, and the IDF would launch a comprehensive offensive in accordance with a detailed plan formulated and approved by Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu and by me,” Katz said, adding that the campaign “would be short and forceful” and modeled on the Gaza and Lebanon campaigns.

Shalom Arbel, a former senior member of the Israeli Security Agency (Shin Bet) who served from 1988 to 2013 in roles involving human intelligence recruitment and operations, and before that as a major in the IDF reserves in Lebanon, Gaza and Judea and Samaria, told JNS that Katz’s directive “should have come a long time ago” and that the threat has been building for “a year, two years, three years at least.”

Arbel pointed to the scale of the Palestinian security forces’ buildup.

“This is the growth, recruitment, a very significant additional buildup of Palestinian soldiers, policemen in the West Bank, to the point where, as I understand it, the numbers reach 60,000 to 70,000 people,” he said. He described that figure as a direct violation of the Oslo Accords.

“In my assessment, the limitation there was in the direction of 20,000 policemen with very specific weapons, and those are roughly the numbers, and I think Israel is in a very big problem here,” Arbel said.

The former Shin Bet officer said he does not believe the P.A. is planning an imminent attack but suspects covert contingency planning at the leadership level for a major triggering event.

“I personally don’t think the Palestinian Authority is preparing in the short term some force order to fight Israel immediately,” Arbel said. “I think there is a thought that isn’t open, it’s covert, very secret, let’s call it that, only at the leadership level, to prepare forces of this magnitude in case of a major event,” he added, citing scenarios such as Operation Guardian of the Walls in 2021 or a second Al-Aqsa Intifada triggered by “some intensive conduct by Israel, some operational accident that causes the killing of Palestinians.”

“The lesson from Oct. 7 is that you don’t need intelligence about everything,” Arbel said, drawing an analogy to Hamas training videos.

“There was Hamas training on the other side, speaking about killing Jews, training in shooting at mock structures with Israeli flags and dolls of Jews, so we did not need a warning that Hamas will one day attack us,” he said. “Likewise, I don’t need a warning that the 60,000 to 70,000 armed policemen, one day maybe given an event, will attack us back. This requires treatment today.”

He called for an ultimatum demanding that the P.A. disarm down to Oslo-mandated levels, “including under threat,” with legal and operational sanctions against anyone holding unauthorized weapons.

On security coordination with the P.A., Arbel was categorical in his opposition.

“They’re all terror organizations, Fatah is no better than Hamas,” he said, recalling how Yasser Arafat used to detain Hamas operatives briefly under what he called “protective custody” before releasing them.

“No security coordination with an enemy. I don’t see it. It’s as logical as security coordination with Iran,” Arbel said.

Lt. Col. (res.) Amit Yagur, former deputy head of the Palestinian arena at the IDF Planning Branch and a former naval intelligence officer, pointed to P.A. President Mahmoud Abbas’s repeated postponement of elections and the P.A.’s collapsing public image as key underlying factors.

“Hamas is strong and getting stronger, and according to every public opinion poll conducted both during the war and now, including Palestinian polls, Hamas takes first place quite easily,” Yagur said, describing the P.A.’s reputation among its own people as one of “very deep corruption” and stagnation.

Yagur said the Palestinian population no longer accepts the P.A.’s narrative despite the extensive foreign funding it has received.

“The Palestinians are one of the groups that received quite a lot of money over the years, from Arab states, from European states, and tax money from Israel. They only received money, they don’t see that money translated on the ground. The people, after all these years, have taken notice,” Yagur said.

Yagur said he does not foresee an organized mass popular uprising, citing fears among Palestinian residents in Judea and Samaria of paying the price that Gaza has paid.

“I don’t see a popular intifada erupting in the style of 1987 or the 2000s. They’re afraid of the costs, and the war hasn’t ended yet. It’s better for them than a situation like Gaza, and they see that,” Yagur said.

He said a more plausible risk is that individual P.A. security personnel could turn to terrorism if their salaries stop.

“It can very much be that they’ll think, what do we do? One option is to resign, a second is to wait, a third is to say, fine, I’m turning my weapon, I’m going to carry out an attack, because I’ve lost hope anyway,” Yagur said.

A coordinated mass defection of P.A. security forces, Yagur argued, would amount to institutional suicide.

“This would be an event that requires direction from above, and it’s what’s called the official declaration of the death of the Oslo process,” Yagur said. “The Palestinian Authority understands that the moment it does such a thing, there’s nothing left to fight for control over, because Israel will simply take everything in such a case.”

He noted that the P.A., unlike Hezbollah, was not founded on ideological opposition to Israel and depends heavily on international funding to survive.

Yagur proposed an alternative long-term framework modeled on localized Gulf-style governance rather than a two-state solution.

“I think Sykes-Picot is the number one cause of failure that produced a long line of failed states, and it needs to be replaced with the Abraham Accords, with something else entirely,” Yagur said.

Yaakov Lappin

Yaakov Lappin is an Israel-based military affairs correspondent and analyst. He is the in-house analyst at the Miryam Institute; a research associate at the Alma Research and Education Center; and a research associate at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan University. He is a frequent guest commentator on international television news networks, including Sky News and i24 News. Lappin is the author of Virtual Caliphate: Exposing the Islamist State on the Internet. Follow him at: www.patreon.com/yaakovlappin.

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