Details
- Haaretz published a report saying documents and images show advanced Israeli defense systems were sold to Saudi Arabia and Qatar through indirect arrangements, despite the lack of formal relations between the two countries and Israel.
- According to the newspaper, the deals involved Israeli defense firms including Elbit Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries.
- Haaretz said the systems included aircraft protection equipment, F-15-related components, advanced JHMCS combat helmets, night-vision goggles, spare parts and advanced aviation electronics.
- The report said some of the equipment was supplied through subcontracting arrangements with Western companies, including Boeing, rather than through direct publicly acknowledged ties with Israel.
- According to Haaretz, three Qatari royal aircraft were fitted with Elbit’s C-MUSIC anti-missile system during maintenance work in Basel between 2020 and 2022.
- The newspaper said one of those aircraft was used by Qatar’s emir during a trip to Iran last year.
- Haaretz also reported that a Saudi order linked to advanced combat helmets alone was worth around $100 million.
- The report said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally approved deals worth more than $100 million.
- Haaretz also claimed that intermediaries connected to circles close to Netanyahu collected commissions from some of the deals.
- A Qatari official declined to comment on the report.
- A Saudi official said the report was “baseless” and argued that the images published by the newspaper do not prove the claims.
- The Saudi official also described the report as part of internal Israeli political disputes, pointing to Haaretz’s well-known critical stance toward Netanyahu’s right-wing government.
- For now, the central claims remain attributed to Haaretz, while Saudi Arabia has issued a clear denial and Qatar has declined to comment.
What’s next?
The key question is whether Haaretz will publish additional documents to support its reporting, and whether Israeli defense firms or Western companies linked to the contracts will provide clarification.
Saudi Arabia’s denial keeps the report in a contested space, particularly because Haaretz is relying on documents, images and technical indicators, while Riyadh says those materials do not establish the existence of defense deals or arrangements with Israel.