(Times of Israel) David Horovitz - Were it not for the astonishing Iron Dome missile defense system, the Gaza-ruling Hamas terror group would have been able to reduce Israel's residential areas to rubble in recent years, rendering much of the country unlivable. In the May conflict alone, 1,500 rockets fired from Gaza were heading directly into Israeli civilian neighborhoods. In excess of 1,400 of them were knocked out of the sky by Iron Dome interceptors. In the decade since the system was first rushed into service, it has stopped thousands of rockets from killing and maiming Israelis. In the Obama era, the president helped ensure that funding for Iron Dome was approved with alacrity. That Democratic members of Congress today would even wish to prevent, never mind succeed in preventing, the smooth approval of funding for Iron Dome dismally underlines the immorality taking hold in areas of that party when it comes to Israel. Seeking to deny funds to Israel for Iron Dome is indeed immoral. This is a military system whose sole purpose and capability is defensive. It keeps people alive despite terrorists' best attempts to kill them. It is the vital first line of defense against the war crime of indiscriminate rocket fire directed at civilians. Those U.S. legislators doing their utmost to deprive Israel of its protection are attempting to abandon Israelis to that deadly fire. They are opposing Israeli civilians' right to a shield against murderous terrorism. The very readiness to target Iron Dome, of all things, is despicable and unforgivable. It shows that, for some legislators, absolutely no avenue is off-limits when it comes to harming Israel and rendering its people vulnerable to their would-be killers. The writer is founding editor of the Times of Israel.
2021-09-23 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive