After compromises and agreements were reached between Defense Minister Yoav Galant and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, the Ministerial Committee approved on Sunday the acquisition of a third squadron of the Adir F-35 aircraft from the US (most of it in an American budget granted to Israel at the beginning of the war – a total of $35 billion). These planes are expected to arrive in Israel in 3-5 years, and will help maintain Israel’s long-term air superiority in the Middle East – one of the most important aspects of Israel’s regional security concept.
At first, the Ministry of Defense requested that the transactions be approved quickly and without the meeting of the Ministerial Committee for Equipments, in light of the sense of urgency in the war. Smotrich refused to approve the move, criticizing the expedited process, and claiming that external supervision was needed for budgetary prioritization in the Defense Ministry, especially in light of the October 7 failures. Smotrich demanded the establishment of a public committee to examine the security budget, which would include representatives from the Foreign Ministry and the curator, together with politicians, economists, and the National Strategic Council. Galant opposed the idea of introducing politicians into the field of security interests, and the dispute between the two threatened to prevent the implementation of the defense budget for 2024 in general.
Eventually, a compromise was reached between the two ministers on Wednesday, after Galant agreed to form a committee with only powers of recommendation. In doing so, the issue of acquiring the planes succeeded in breaking the traffic just in time, since a delay in a few weeks now, at the time of the year in which the American companies make decisions for production, would have led to a delay of several years in bringing the planes to Israel. The decision on the acquisition is now being passed to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, led by MK Yuli Edelstein, and is expected to receive a final approval and approval there. The Israel Air Force and the State of Israel will continue to strengthen, and we hope that politicians will continue to find ways to compromise and reach agreements for the common good.
