(Reuters) Dan Williams - Israel has emerged from the past few days of fighting with Palestinians in Gaza more confident that its advanced missile shield and civil defenses can perform well in any war with Iran. One Israeli official said on Tuesday: "In a sense, this was a mini-drill," alluding to Iran's threat to respond to any "pre-emptive strike" on its nuclear facilities by firing missiles at Israel. "The Israeli home front has shown once more that it can deal with the challenges," said the armed forces' commander, Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dubs Iran a mortal threat and described the recent Gaza rockets as a harbinger. "These terrorist attacks, by Islamic Jihad for example, demonstrate the scale of the danger that will be wrought if, God forbid, a nuclear Iran stands behind them," he said on Monday.
2012-03-14 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive