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Guest Column
Editorial
Israel's Iron Dome
Don't Disarm Amid Drop
In Global Hatred of Jews
G
A
merica's friendship with Israel
extends to nearly every aspect of
international relations, but none is
more important than our commitment to aid
Israel's efforts to defend itself in a very dan-
gerous neighborhood. As we work to defeat
the most pressing current threat to regional
security — Iran's potential pursuit of nuclear
weapons — we are reaping the benefits of a
well-established but under-appreciated aspect
of our relationship: cooperation on
missile defense.
As chairman of the Senate
Armed Services Committee, I have
seen and supported efforts by
President Obama and his predeces-
sors to maintain a major commit-
ment of U.S. funding, expertise
and assistance to Israel on missile
defense. That cooperation has
reached its height under the Obama
administration, which has doubled
funding requested for missile
defense assistance to Israel since 2010 over the
previous administration's planned level.
The fruit of that cooperation is a robust, lay-
ered set of defenses designed to defeat missile
and rocket attacks at every level, from medi-
um-range ballistic missiles launched from Iran
to short-range rockets fired by Iran's terrorist
proxies in Lebanon and Gaza.
These systems — such as Arrow, Patriot
and Iron Dome — have benefited enormously
from U.S. technology, from joint U.S.-Israel
research and development, and from the assis-
tance of U.S. taxpayers. In addition, the U.S.
has deployed Army troops on the ground in
Israel to operate a powerful U.S. X-band mis-
sile defense radar, one of two in the region
that helps monitor and defend against Iran's
missile threats. Furthermore, the U.S. Navy
has deployed an Aegis ballistic missile defense
ship to the Eastern Mediterranean and will
soon base four such ships in Spain to bolster
missile defenses in the region.
The impact of these systems on the threat
from Iran is significant. Should Iran make the
fateful decision to develop a nuclear weapon,
its actions would likely invite military action
against its nuclear facilities. Iran would hope
that its ability to retaliate for any such attack,
using its missile arsenal and Hezballah's
rockets, might deter such an attack. Iranian
leaders, if they felt shielded by their missile
capability, might feel emboldened to make the
decision to acquire nuclear weapons.
But missile defense changes that
calculus. Because of Israel's robust
protection against Iran's ability to
retaliate, the Iranians cannot be con-
fident that their missiles will deter
military action against their nuclear
facilities. We can hope that Iran's
leaders will be rational enough to rec-
ognize that fact and comply with the
international community's demand
that it not pursue nuclear weapons. If
not, thanks to joint U.S.-Israel missile
defense cooperation, Iran's missiles
will not prevent an attack on its nuclear sites
should such an attack be otherwise indicated.
We have seen a dramatic illustration of the
power of these defenses in recent days with
Israel's Iron Dome short-range rocket defense
system. Iron Dome is programmed to intercept
short-range rockets that are flying toward
populated areas. It is so accurate it doesn't
even shoot at rockets that will fall in the desert
or in the sea.
Recently, Iron Dome intercepted and
destroyed 80 percent of the rockets fired
from Gaza to wreak indiscriminate death and
destruction upon Israeli civilians. By prevent-
ing large numbers of Israeli casualties, the
system averted a humanitarian tragedy that
would undoubtedly have led to a more robust
Israeli military response.
Although Iron Dome was developed by
Israel, its arsenal of this remarkable system
has been bolstered with the assistance of U.S.
taxpayers. In 2010, the Obama administration
requested $205 million from Congress so Israel
lobal anti-Semitism
dropped by 27 percent in
2011, but don't be lulled
into thinking Jews have become
less of a target of religious hatred.
Against a rising tide of extremist
religious fundamentalism, violence
against Jews and Jewish property
is on the climb and so is the bru-
EJC's Moshe Kantor
tality.
That's sobering. To ignore the
trend could prove even more deadly, especially for European
Jews.
The Kantor Center for the Study of Contemporary European
Jewry at Tel Aviv University gives a troubling account in its
global anti-Semitism report for 2011. The annual report shows
the number of cases of major incidents, including threats and
vandalism against Jews, fell to 446 – a drop of 168, or about
28 percent. But the severity of attacks against Jews and
Jewish property is markedly higher. The March 19 slaying of
three children and a rabbi at a Jewish day school in Toulouse,
France, is the harshest example.
France reported the most hate crimes against Jews with 114,
followed by the United Kingdom with 105, Canada with 68 and
Australia with 30 – all lower numbers from 2010. Then came
Ukraine (16), Russia (15), the United States (13), Lithuania (6),
Argentina (5), Switzerland (5), South Africa (3) and Tunisia (1).
U.S. numbers were only partly included, so reality is worse than
what's presented.
About 42 percent of hate crimes aimed at Jews or Jewish
interests were committed against individuals. Synagogues were
hit 20 percent of the time; schools and Jewish community cen-
ters were the focus in 6 percent of cases. Eighteen percent of
cases saw private property vandalized. Jewish cemeteries were
vandalized 14 percent of the time.
The data segmented the nature of the assaults. Firearms
were used in 5 percent of cases, 17 percent involved verbal
threats, 57 percent of hate crimes involved vandalism, and 1
percent were arson. Perpetrators of violent anti-Semitic inci-
dents and acts of harassment were categorized roughly into
two ethnic and ideological groups: young Islamists, mostly from
immigrant families, and racists from the extreme political right.
Cyberspace – websites, social networks, forums and blogs –
is rife with bigotry and racism, including hatred of Jews. It per-
petuates the idea that a global "Jewish conspiracy" is respon-
sible for every violent international event.
"Europe is a ticking time bomb," Israel-based Ynetnews.
corn quotes European Jewish Congress (EJC) President Moshe
Kantor as saying. "Anti-Semitism as well as hatred toward
Jews and other minorities can erupt in and sweep through
Europe."
He added: "Any developments in the Middle East – for
instance, if Israel was to strike Iran – will have ramifications in
Europe."
Even in Germany, where current leaders typically stand with
Israel, about 20 percent of the general population harbors anti-
Semitic beliefs. We know alert levels are higher in countries
with pockets more hostile to Zionism, such as France and the
U.K.
Jews the world over must take heed and engage Jewish and
government leaders in investigating rhetoric that fuels inciting.
To not do so is to discount that we live in the worst period for
anti-Semitism and Israel hatred since the Holocaust.
Missile Defense on page 42
May 3 2012
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