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AH-64D Saraf / "Fiery Snake"

In October 1999 the Government of Israel requested a possible sale for remanufacture of 24 AH-64A APACHE helicopters to AH-64D model aircraft, 12 AN/APG-78 AH-64D Longbow Fire Control Radar, 12 APR-48A Radar Frequency Interferometer, 56 T-700-GE-701C engines, 24 Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (TADS/PNVS), 480 AGM-114L3 HELLFIRE II laser guided missiles, spare and repair parts, support equipment, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor technical support and other related elements of logistics support. The estimated cost is $508 million.

This proposed sale contributed to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a friendly country which had been and continued to be an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East. Israel desired these articles to fulfill their strategic commitments for self-defense, with coalition support, in the region. The sale upgraded its anti-armor day/night missile capability, provide for the defense of vital installations and provide close air support for the military ground forces. Israel, which already had APACHE helicopters in its inventory, will have no difficulty absorbing these helicopters.

The saraf, the fiery snake, is so called because the venom of a snake is hot, it burns. The snake is called saraf, "the fiery serpent," as it says, "[When the people in the wilderness spoke out against God,] God sent the fiery serpents, [and they bit the people]" (Bemidbar 21:6). Isaiah 14:29 King James Bible "Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent." That is, he wills the Philistines not to rejoice because the Jews are diminished in their power, for their strength will be greater than it ever was. Assurance is given of the destruction of the Philistines and their power.

Yeshayahu (30:6) [Isaiah 30:6] addresses the Jewish kings who sought to form a military alliance with Egypt against Assyria: "They load animals to [travel to] the south; to the land of trouble and anguish, from where the young and the old lion come, the viper and the fiery flying serpent (saraf)..." The appellation "fiery snake," saraf, does not necessarily refer to a fire-breathing snake; it could refer to a poisonous snake, whose venom "burns" people. The description of these snakes "flying" likewise may not refer to that which is usually understood by the term but rather jumping, as Rashi explains: "They are a type of snake, and it is not that they possess wings with which to fly, but rather that they jump and leap very far."

All other snakes were said to fly from the sound of its hissing; and instead of trailing along like other serpents the basilisk raised its body nearly erect. These snakes were offshoots of the primeval serpent [in Gan Eden]. The mythical king of the serpents, the basilisk, or cockatrice, is a creature that burns everything it approaches. The only way to kill a basilisk is by holding a mirror in front of its eyes, while avoiding to look directly at it. The moment the creature sees its own reflection, it will die of fright. In the event of the cockatrice getting the all-important first look, it will dart venom from its eyes, deadly enough to kill any living creature. The wyvern and the cockatrice and the basilisk (which, like the Gorgon Medusa, can strike a man dead by the mere glance of the eye) are remarkable for conforming to the invariable vertebrate standard of no more than two pairs of limbs, whether legs, wings, or fins. The basiliskos, or little king, is derived from "Basilisk", a diminutive from "basileus" (king).

No animal, perhaps, has been the subject of so great a number of prejudices as the basilisk (the regulus, or little king of serpents, commonly called the cockatrice). The most ancient authors have spoken of the basilisk, as of a serpent which had the power of striking its victim dead by a single glance. Others have pretended that it could not exercise this faculty, unless it first perceived the object of its vengeance before it was itself perceived by it. Pliny assures us that the serpent named basilisk has a voice so terrible, that it strikes terror into all other species, that it thus chases them from the spot which it inhabits, and of which it retains the sole and undisputed dominion.

The cockatrice is sometimes mentioned in the Authorised Version of the Bible, with an adder generally as the alternative translation (cp. Jer. viii. 17, Prov. xxiii. 32 (margin), Is. xi. 8, lix. 5, xiv. 29). The Revised Version uses the word basilisk either in the text or margin of these passages. The chief characteristic of the basilisk or cockatrice in the Bible is its bite or sting. The word "saraph' is a primitive root; to be (causatively, set) on fire -- (cause to, make a) burn((-ing), up) kindle, X utterly. New American Standard Bible [NASB] Word Usage frequency is: brought (1), burn (35), burn it as he burned (1), burned (70), burns (5), completely burned (1), made (1), undertaker (1).

If these fables had reference to any real animal, it is probable that it was a species somewhat similar to the cobra de capello, or the asp viper. Both are accustomed to erect a very considerable part of the body, though not to move forward in this way. It is highly probable that the basilisk of the ancients was merely a creature of fiction.

Reports on 27 December 2023 about the refusal of the administration of US President Joe Biden to approve Israel’s request to purchase Apache attack helicopters surprised many American commentators, especially in light of the great support that Washington has provided to Israel since the start of Operation “ Al- Aqsa Flood ” on October 7. As of 20 December 2023, Washington had provided more than 230 cargo planes and 20 ships loaded with various types of weapons, ammunition and military equipment to Israel, with the Biden administration pledging to provide support to Israel no matter what it takes.

Reports indicated that Israel submitted its request regarding Apache helicopters weeks ago, a request that was returned and submitted by the Israeli government to US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin during his visit to Israel earlier this month.

News of the American refusal came at a time when the Chief of Staff of the Israeli army, Herzi Halevy, suggested that the war launched by Israel on the Gaza Strip would continue for several months. The Biden administration wanted Israel to move quickly to the third phase of the aggression, thereby reducing the number of casualties after the number of martyrs exceeded 20,000, in addition to the injury of more than 50,000 others.

In an interview with Al Jazeera Net, Ambassador David Mack, former US Assistant Secretary of State for Middle Eastern Affairs, indicated that “the United States has limited quantities of these main aircraft for our armed forces, and in addition, there may be a priority in planning to supply Ukraine with these aircraft for an attack” possibly next year.

He added, "Given that the Israeli Air Force is killing Palestinians in Gaza as well as West Bank cities, it is logical for the Biden administration to stop providing offensive weapons. Moreover, we do not want to encourage Israel to open a new front against Lebanon, where Apache planes armed with Hellfire missiles will be an addition." key to the Israeli arsenal.

Although some reports have stated that the US Department of Defense (the Pentagon) has categorically rejected the Israeli request, there are those who say that no decision has been made regarding a final and strict rejection. For his part, former American diplomat, Wolfgang Pusztai, considered that “if this is the final decision - and the decision has not yet been made according to my information - this is certainly another strong sign that Washington is not satisfied with the way Israel is managing the war, especially with regard to the large number of civilian casualties.

In an interview with Al Jazeera Net, Postztay indicated, "There will be no immediate impact of this decision on the battlefield in Gaza, because helicopters will certainly not be available to Israel in the coming weeks or months."

Reports indicate that there are not a sufficient number of pilots to fly Apache helicopters in Israel, which forced the army to call up retired pilots in the 54-55 age group for active service, even though their age is higher than 51 years, which is the traditional maximum for flying this helicopter.

Analysts believe that Biden's refusal came as a result of strong criticism of Washington's support for the war in Gaza. Washington's refusal to give Israel more Apache helicopters, despite continuing to provide military aid to Israel without stopping since the outbreak of the conflict, represents an indication of Washington's disagreement with Israel's continued aggression in the same ways that have continued since the "Al-Aqsa Flood."

Sources in Washington indicated that the issue of the planes was raised during a meeting between Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, a key advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan at the White House. Dermer was Israel's ambassador to the United States from 2013 to 2021.

In an interview with Al Jazeera Net, David De Roche, a former officer and currently an assistant professor at the Pentagon’s National Defense University, said that he believes that “the Biden administration is trying to persuade the Israelis to take Washington’s request to reduce civilian casualties seriously, especially as it continues to be ignored.” "The Israelis are calling on Washington to reduce the severity of their attacks."

For his part, Director of the Gulf States Studies Foundation, Giorgio Cafiero, told Al Jazeera Net that the rejection of "the Biden administration may have come in response to the rejection of broad currents within the Democratic Party and liberal voters who strongly criticize the White House's strong support for the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza."

The Apache attack helicopter has enjoyed great popularity among the military since its first combat appearance in 1986. It is manufactured by Boeing, and its average price is about 52 million dollars. Reports indicate that Israeli Apache 64-AH attack helicopters participated in direct attacks against Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) fighters using a 30 mm chain gun and Hellfire missiles. Since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, Israel has received 2,000 laser-guided Hellfire missiles for use by Israeli Apache helicopters, along with 36,000 rounds of 30 mm ammunition.

Israel has two squadrons of Apache helicopters (48 aircraft), stationed at Ramon Air Base in the Negev Desert. The Israeli Air Force still relies heavily on the most advanced helicopter in the world in its daily strikes against the Gaza Strip, and against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.