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Shooting Down Israel's Iron Dome
(Wall Street Journal) Editorial - Facing a revolt from progressive lawmakers, and with limited time to avert a government shutdown, on Tuesday House Democrats stripped from their government funding bill the $1 billion earmarked for Israel's Iron Dome missile-defense system. Iron Dome has enjoyed strong bipartisan support. It is a defensive system that shoots down rockets fired by Hamas and other Iran-backed terrorist groups in Gaza to kill Israeli civilians. Iron Dome also saves Palestinian lives, since when Israeli casualties are prevented, there's less domestic pressure on Israel's political leaders to escalate their military response. The system's deployment and improvement, with U.S. funding, also helps develop technology that can be used to defend Americans. The funding was shot down because a growing number of Democrats oppose anything that would help Israel, even if it promotes peace. Supporters of Israel should take note. If Iron Dome can lose Democratic Party support, then there is nothing pro-Israel that won't be in jeopardy in Congress.