(Jerusalem Post) Herb Keinon - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with three key Democratic congressmen on Wednesday, Reps. Gary Ackerman and Nita Lowey of New York, and Henry Waxman of California. According to a government official, Netanyahu spoke of two critical security aspects of any agreement with the Palestinians. The first is a long-term Israeli military presence on the Jordan River to combat the smuggling of arms and terrorists into the West Bank from Jordan. The second is the deployment of Iron Dome anti-missile batteries along the border of a future Palestinian state to prevent missile attacks from the West Bank on Israeli cities. Netanyahu said Israel would pay for the batteries, but would also need American assistance. He said the Iron Dome benefits America as well because it is a system that can be used to protect American bases abroad. Israel currently has two Iron Dome systems in operation, and a third is to be delivered by the end of the year. President Obama approved $205 million in the 2011 budget to enable Israel to buy four more.
2011-07-01 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive