Israel successfully conducted a series of tests of a new missile defense system in Alaska, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday. The test was done with the cooperation of the American Missile Defense Agency (MDA), Israel Aerospace Industries and the Israeli Air Force.
The Arrow 3 missile defense system is meant to intercept ballistic missiles outside of the atmosphere.
According to the Israeli Defense Ministry the tests were done in Alaska “to carry out tests of the system’s capabilities that can’t be done in Israel.”
Netanyahu bragged about the success of the tests during a government meeting on Sunday, “The execution was perfect. Today Israel has the capacity to act against ballistic missiles launched at us from Iran or anywhere else.”
These tests come after Iran tested a medium-range ballistic missile last week. The tests are no doubt a warning to Iran, showing them Israel has the full support and cooperation of the US military.
“We are committed to assisting the government of Israel in upgrading its national missile defense capability to defend the state of Israel and deployed U.S. forces from emerging threats,” Vice Admiral John Hill, director of the MDA said in a statement.
Netanyahu is up for reelection again in September, after failing to form a new government back in May. Any show of support from the US is good for Netanyahu. The tests come after the house overwhelmingly passed a symbolic resolution condemning the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. BDS is a campaign that was founded to pressure Israel over the occupation of Palestine.
The passing of the anti-BDS resolution may prevent Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN) resolution from getting a vote, which expresses support for American’s right to boycott other nations.
The recent vote and the Israeli military testing weapons in the US shows the people of Israel that Netanyahu has Washington and the Pentagon in his pocket, making his victory in the September election more likely.
“We are committed to assisting the government of Israel in upgrading its national missile defense capability to defend the state of Israel and deployed U.S. forces from emerging threats,” Vice Admiral John Hill, director of the MDA said in a statement.”
The statement is unwarranted MDA or USA has no option but to do what it did,It is an imperative.
Why test in Alaska? To show Russia and China that Israel is now in charge of missile defense technology? It looks like Iron dome has been fixed, to stop small rockets. Otherwise, why even mention such trivia in the description of test success. As many other technologies touted highly coming from Israel, this may also turn out to be a lots of words and adjective filled pronouncements. The very fact that it is conducted in Alaska tells a lot. it is geared more to US public that seems to have a fascination with Israel’s technological capabilities. In the face of other countries buying Russian missile defense systems, at least this is a badly needed marketing strategy. But buyers will not be lining up. Perhaps this is to convince India too drop S-400 purchase plan.
How much longer must the world put up with this Iran-Israel-USA crap. Simple solution. All countries except USA and Israel get together at the UN General Assembly and put up strict sanctions on Israel. Sorry I forgot USA and Israel have one other cohort…Micronesia.
Anti-semite, anti-semite….. ha, ha, just joking.
Down with the big and the small satan
Hezbollah has an estimated 120,000 missiles in Lebanon. The Israeli Iron Dome, would struggle to contain such an overwhelming barrage of rockets. That is the simple reality they would face if we attacked Iran and Israel knows it. The Arrow 3 missile defense system is just for show, much like Star Wars (Strategic Defense Initiative) was in the 1980s. Satanyahu is trying to impress Israelis with how he has the USA on a leash like a poodle.
That assumes it is Hezbollah that is the aggressor, which is patently not the case. Israel needs bigger tests that it can do itself? It needs to nuke even further than from Israel and fears Iran, as poor Bibi has done since 1995?? The USA’s pandering to this belligerent “nation” encourages its excesses.
Has the US ever been satisfied with enough wealth or territory at the expense of others? Has modern day Israel ever been content with or had enough land or resources? How can there ever be peace in this world when the more powerful nations gobble up everything while the less powerful bow down, like the Palistinians and the Iraians must do if they want to stay alive? Have the Trumps and the Netanyahu’s ever had enough wealth and power? Is this the kind of world we want?
Would be interesting to read what Professor Postel stays about this. He basically thinks the Israeli systems are crap, based on what I’ve read from him previously.
Iran won’t waste a lot of their longer range missiles against Israel anyway. They will be targeting US and Saudi assets in the region. Hitting Israel would be a waste of time and poor strategy. Maybe Iran would fire off a few at Israel. But that’s it. It’s Hezbollah that Israel has to worry about in an Iran war. Hezbollah is Iran’s “local deterrence” against Israel. Which is why in the next Israeli war with Lebanon, the US will join in. Israel can’t afford a war with Iran until Hezbollah is degraded (if that’s possible.)