ISRAEL’S “IRON DOME” anti-missile system is good.
So good, in fact, that even the U.S. is putting it into place.
“Iron Dome” is probably 98% effective — expensive, but effective — in knocking out the missiles fired at Israeli civilians from Gaza and Syria/Lebanon.
But . . .
EVEN WHEN “IRON DOME” destroys an incoming missile, civilians — sometimes Muslim civilians — are injured or killed BY FALLING DEBRIS.
Indeed, more injuries and property damage are caused by fragments of incoming missiles that “Iron Dome” destroys than by the few missiles that get past “Iron Dome.”
Always on the defensive
Since its founding, Israel always has been on defense.
In the 50’s and 60’s, Israeli towns were dotted with entrances to underground shelters. (Americans and Russians will remember the bomb shelters of the same period.)
Today, all new apartments include a shelter room to protect from both flying debris and poison gas. (One Israeli child murdered by Hamas died when shrapnel entered the safe room via a window that should have been shuttered.) Older apartments have common shelters.
In the south, where many homes are single-family, the landscape still is dotted with shelters.
60 seconds
By the time an incoming mortar is detected, Israelis have one minute — 60 seconds — to get into a shelter.
They are supposed to stay in the shelter for at least 10 minutes hoping the mortars have creased.
Problem is, Hamas and Hezbollah like to fire mortars, wait a bit, and fire more mortars.
Rushing into a shelter several times over a few hours is demoralizing, even if the shelter is in an apartment.
It also takes a toll on children, pets, and even newcomers to Israel.1
Fortunately the warning siren’s sound is distinct from that of emergency vehicles.
Mortars, not guided missiles
Despite funding from Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah so far have produced only mortars.
These mortars lack guidance systems.
Why spend money on guidance systems when the intent is to murder indiscriminately.
Unlike Israel Defense Forces (IDF) precision guided missiles that have pin-point accuracy and spare, whenever possible, non military objectives. Hamas and Hezbollah commit war crimes by targeting civilian populations. (The media seem to ignore this not so subtle point of law.)
Never mind that some of the mortars kill fellow Muslims in Israel.
Never mind that a few mortars land inside Gaza and Lebanon, killing their own people.
Mortars are cheap; precision missiles are expensive. Iron Dome anti-missile missiles also are expensive.
The canard is that the U.S. gives Israel dollars for its self defense.
What the U.S. really is doing is funding U.S. arms manufacturers since the “donated” dollars only can be spent to buy American weaponry. Unfortunately, at the same time, Israel is a proving ground for U.S. arms manufacturers.
One day, either Hamas or Hezbollah will fire mortars at Jerusalem and destroy the mosque down to the Temple’s foundation. Will Jordan, that allegedly controls the mosque, try to rebuild? Will Israel allow Jordan to rebuild.
While there IS a “peace” pact between Israel and Jordan, the Jordanians by and large still hate Israel. Most of Jordan’s current population are “Palestinians,” descendants of the same people who tried to overthrow the Jordanian government in what is known as “Black September.” (see https://tinyurl.com/59sjh5es and https://tinyurl.com/5yjw93mr)
Damned if they do, damned if they don’t
It is interesting that despite precision missiles, Israel is accused by the media of disproportionate response. After all, the media notes, Israel has the Iron Dome and Hamas and Hezbollah don’t. (Hamas and Hezbollah could stop firing missiles at Israeli civilians and they would not NEED an Iron Dome.) The “ disproportionate” claim also applies to causalities. Israel protects its citizens; Hamas and Hezbollah hide behind their civilians.
As an aside, if Israel DID flatten Gaza, how would that be different than what England and the U.S. did to Dresden Germany (https://tinyurl.com/w7kxfyww) or the nazis did to London (https://tinyurl.com/evmv7bk), or what the U.S. was forced to do twice: in Nagasaki and in Hiroshima, Japan? (https://tinyurl.com/t2j7f4xz)
Caveat
In case the reader is not aware, this is keyed in Yavne, Israel (see map at https://tinyurl.com/8fb9aprx). This scrivener is on the ground, unlike some of the reporters who get ”news”feeds from those who hate Israel and want to destroy it and the media that disseminates these total or partial untruths.
Sources
1. This scrivener is not a newcomer to Israel and well remembers mortars being fired at Zefat when he lived in northern Israel c 1977.
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