The US asked Israel to allow its old Hawk anti-aircraft missiles to be sent to Ukraine, Axios reported on Wednesday, citing unnamed US and Israeli officials.
The report said the Pentagon made the request to the Israeli Defense Ministry for the air defense system. Israel first purchased the Hawk systems in the 1960s but hasn’t used them in at least ten years.
One Israeli official said that the Defense Ministry told the Pentagon that its policy of not sending weapons to Ukraine remains unchanged. Another official said Israel insisted the Hawk systems were too old and couldn’t be used even though the systems could be refurbished.
Israel has provided Ukraine with humanitarian and other types of aid but has held off on sending weapons. The previous Israeli government condemned the invasion and accused Moscow of war crimes, but the new government under Benjamin Netanyahu has signaled that policy will change.
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said the new government will “talk less,” and other officials said they wanted to take a mediating role in the conflict. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reportedly gave Cohen a message to pass to Russia’s foreign minister during their first conversation earlier this month.
Chief among Israel’s desire to avoid escalating tensions with Russia by arming Ukraine is its operations in Syria. Israel frequently bombs Russia’s ally in Damascus, and while Moscow occasionally demands the airstrikes stop, it never takes action to stop them.
While Israel hasn’t sent its own weapons, it did allow the transfer of US artillery ammunition that was stored in a little-known stockpile in Israel. Reports said Israel was reluctant to allow the transfer but ultimately agreed since the arms were owned by the US.
Smart thing for Israel is not to get involved.
Yes, they’re very smart…! They fear Russia…!
Any wise person does-Napoleon,Hitler. and Biden did and do not.
No, if that was true, the world would have stood by and let the invasion of Ukraine go unchallenged
Parasites don’t give, they take.
Go look in a mirror.78 years old.
That’s 68. And I paid into a system for 46 years. But hopefully I’ll outlive what I paid in, and I’ll be able to live off of your tax dollars.
Last weak,you were 78-can’t remember-EHH?
Last “weak”? My birthday is on the 4th so that wasn’t last week when I said I was going to be 68. And when you said the age for collecting SSI should end at 75, I asked if you were sure because that would give me 7 more years to collect. So, I don’t know how old you are, but it’s obvious I’m less senile than you.
It’s funny watching a millennial and a boomer bicker
Glad it amuses you. That was my intention all along. Amuse Analyzer.
Well, I wish you a happy birthday.
You already did Donna. but thanks again.
If Social Security ends at 75, Jake will either have to get a job, go on public assistance or live with younger family members when he gets that old.
The US wants to create a no fly zone over Ukraine , they think they are being clever but they are not , you can read the US thinking like a book .
As a practical matter, there’s already a no fly zone over Ukraine.
Apart from the first few days of the war (remember the “ghost of Kyiv” psy-op?), we haven’t heard of much action by manned, fixed-wing aircraft on either side.
The reason is fairly obvious: Air defenses have become too effective to make that a good idea.
That’s only to have been expected. In the 1991 and 2003 Iraq wars, the US demonstrated an air-heavy offensive strategy. Take out the enemy’s air defense radars. Take out the enemy’s SAMs. Safely pound the enemy’s ground forces relentlessly from the air. Send in its own ground forces to mop up.
The world was watching, and improved its air defense radars, its SAMs , and its deployment doctrines to meet that new kind of threat.
Neither the Russians nor the Ukrainians see any point in putting up significant numbers of expensive, manned fixed-wing aircraft just to have them brought down. The air game now is becoming about 1) missiles and 2) drone swarms.
Yeah, a Russia-imposed no fly zone. Russians can fly anywhere in Ukraine and bomb anything they want. I’ve seen videos of strategic aviation dropping bombs and fighter jets with anti radar missiles. That means Patriots are not entirely useless.
A no fly zone that also applies to themselves, that’s pretty incompetent
“While Israel hasn’t sent its own weapons, it did allow the transfer of US artillery ammunition that was stored in a little-known stockpile in Israel. Reports said Israel was reluctant to allow the transfer but ultimately agreed since the arms were owned by the US“.
I mean seriously? They really have congress by the short hairs now don’t they? You’d think they were sending the US $4 billion per year instead of the other way around.
stop your whining.
Truth hurt?
Your obsession with 4 billion dollars-do you really thing you would get the money instead? HA!
Sure, that’s the reason. Or maybe I believe that our tax dollars should be used on our people and our infrastructure. Can you grasp on to that or are you more concerned about a foreign country?
Why argue with Jake from State Farm? It’s like arguing with a cardboard cutout.
U.S. is the official Ukrainian garbage salesman.