I hate it when Bibi puts all the focus on our security rather than on our right to the land. I want to keep the land for its sake. It will also make us more secure. What is crucial to peace is that the Arabs compromise on the land. Ted Belman
Netanyahu says anti-missile system must be deployed along border of future Palestinian state, is keen on obtaining US help for buying more.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is starting to prepare for US help in purchasing additional Iron Dome anti-missile batteries, bringing the issue up on Wednesday during a meeting with three key Democratic congressmen.
Netanyahu, who met with Reps. Gary Ackerman and Nita Lowey of New York, and Henry Waxman of California, said the Iron Dome will play an important role in peace, since it will make an agreement with the Palestinians possible.
The three representatives participated this week in the World Jewish Congress’s International Consultation of Jewish Parliamentarians taking place in Jerusalem.
Netanyahu, according to a government official, spoke of two critical security aspects of any agreement with the Palestinians. The first being a long-term Israeli military presence on the Jordan River to combat the smuggling of arms and terrorists into the West Bank from Jordan. The second being the deployment of Iron Dome batteries along the border of a future Palestinian state to prevent missile attacks from the West Bank on Israeli cities.
The prime minister told the delegation that Israel would pay for the batteries, but would also need American assistance.
Netanyahu said the Iron Dome benefits America as well because it is a system that can be used to protect American bases abroad.
Israel currently has two Iron Dome systems in operation, and a third to be delivered by the end of the year.
US President Barack Obama’s approval earlier this year of $205 million in the 2011 budget for the system will allow Israel to buy four more.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak has said that by the middle of the decade Israel hoped to have 13 to 15 of these batteries, which provide protection against rockets and artillery shells with a 70-kilometer range.
The Iron Dome is one part of a three-tiered anti-missile umbrella that includes the Arrow, which is already operable and defends against long-range ballistic missiles, and the David’s Sling, still in development, which will protect against medium-range cruise missiles.
Netanyahu told the congressman the Iron Dome was important to create a security envelope within the context of a peace agreement.
On another issue, Netanyahu told Ackerman – who is going to Egypt from Israel – that US economic support for Egypt was important for stabilizing the democratic process there.
He also said it was important for the congressional delegation to articulate its expectation that the Egyptian government maintain the peace agreement with Israel.
“the Iron Dome will play an important role in peace, since it will make an agreement with the Palestinians possible.”
Protection from rockets will make an agreement with PA Muslims possible? Bibi just can’t wait to surrender Jewish land to hate-filled, implacable enemies and he will use any nonsensical argument to do it.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Is PM Netanyahu proposing gizmos as substitute for secure borders?
[Dr. Aaron Lerner – IMRA:
Yes, the Iron Dome system is useful.
But it is puzzling to see their deployment put in the context of gizmos that
could somehow justify the borders set for a Palestinian state.
After all, for every gizmo there is ultimately a counter gizmo. And the
border one accepts relying on the gizmo won’t be changed when the counter
gizmo is deployed.
This, by the way, is the problem behind the argument made by those who
suggest that we can replace the Golan with a gizmo.
As for the Iron Dome gizmo, it should be noted that it requires a distance
of several kilometers from the source of fire in order to operate.
Neighborhoods in Kfar Sava, for example, are too close to Kalkiliya to be
protected by the Iron Dome. Ditto for parts of Jerusalem (depending on the
borders) and many other places.
On the other hand, is this a more sophisticate move than what it appears to
be?
Is Mr. Netanyahu ultimately going to share with the Israeli public the
assessments of the limitations of the gizmos in order to explain why the
borders Israel can accept are substantially different from the lines so many
people have been throwing around for years?] Read More
Israel’s defense chiefs failed in deterring Iran
Ex-Mossad head, Meir Dagan, and ex-Chief of Staff, Gabi Ashkenazi, appear to claim they helped rescue Israel from a destructive war with Iran, perhaps the truth is that defemse establishment failed to fulfill the instructions of political leaders.
By Aluf Benn
“Therefore they embarked on a foiling action, not against Iran but against their superiors…..”
From where I sit i have to give Benn credibility on this one.
Ea. head of security and Peres should be arrested and charged with high treason. BB and Barak should be deposed for total incompetence at the very least but should be investigated for complicity.
I smelled rat over a year ago and BB’s kissing Obama’s ass more often than it rains in London partially explains what happened. BB needs Obama to cover his own incompetency and lies to the Israeli people.
A Nuclear Iran: What, Finally Is To Be Done? (A Column in Two Parts)
More Articles By Louis René Beres…..Read More:
Posted Jun 29 2011
In Israel, a core disagreement has emerged between Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe Ya’alon and former Mossad Chief Meir Dagan.
We have seen this “movie” before. Despite new eleventh-hour warnings from the IAEA, the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog agency, it still appears that nothing serious will be done to halt the final development of Iranian nuclear weapons. From the start, the international community, in spite of persistent Iranian violations of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), has refused to act meaningfully against President Ahmadinejad’s bomb. So, what do we do now?
It is a core question that I have been asking (and answering) here for more than ten years.
What has become of the mantra “Living side by side in peace and security?” Obviously Netanyahoo knows it’s just empty rhetoric. We’re seeing a repeat of his handing the hills around Hevron over to the Arabs – without any intention to take them back should they shoot at Jews from there.
My goodness, security means the neighbor knows you will sort him out on his side of the border if he doesn’t behave – and that you’ll shift the border out if needs be. It’s amazing how everybody who meddles in Israel’s affairs want to pin Israel down in fixed borders, leaving Israel no room to keep the enemy at a safe distance. King David would have thumbed his nose at them!
It is clear that Bibi does not expect our peace agreement to be very peaceful if we need a missile defense shield for rockets launched from the territories we withdraw from.
Israel’s White elephant!! nice to have but Israel can’t depend on this system for it’s security against short range rockets.
At about $35,000 for each Iron Dome Missile, The Arabs cost is only a few hundred $$$$ for each rocket they fire. Even if iron Dome shot down every enemy rocket the cost would bankrupt Israel in shot order.
To spend that kind of money for a system that is less than 50% effective and then Base territorial giveaways based on such a system is beyond insane.
It’s
criminally
Stupid!
Iron Dome Anti-missile system hailed as a ‘technical revolution’ has recently shot down nine rockets but failed to stop 11 others, says army.
Gulf war in 1991. US Patriot missile batteries in Israel and Saudi Arabia appeared to be successful at eliminating scud missiles fired by Iraq. In fact, the system was far less effective than it appeared and subsequent analysis estimated it had a success rate of less than 10%. In Truth it was closer to Zero in effectiveness against Scuds.
During the Iraq war in 2003 the improved Patriots proved more successful against allied aircraft than long-range rockets. Iraq did not fire any long-range rockets and the Patriots downed one British jet and one American jet, killing both crews.
Hezbollah fired some 4,000 rockets at Israel in the 2006 Lebanon war, killing 44 people.
Israel has developed the Arrow long-range missile-defence system but, after its experience in 2006, the government decided to invest in the Iron Dome system instead. The cost of its development and deployment is estimated at more than £1bn, some of which will be subsidised by the US.
Sure is…
Defence without (simultaneous) ruthless counter-attack is a recipe for certain defeat. [Miyamoto Musashi]
Orwellian headline of the day.