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Israel's as Secure as It's Ever Been But That Can Change Quickly

(Times of Israel) Chuck Freilich interviewed by Judah Ari Gross - Chuck Freilich, 62, a former deputy national security adviser of Israel and current senior fellow at Harvard University's Belfer Center, has written Israeli National Security: A New Strategy for an Era of Change, published in March by Oxford University Press. The book draws on his decades of experience in the Israel Defense Forces and Defense Ministry and his stretch as deputy national security adviser under Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. "One of my sub-recommendations is put more money into defense. We have to have overwhelmingly effective capabilities," Freilich said. "We need a national rocket shield....We've got about 10 batteries today. According to the experts, if you want the kind of national shield that I'm talking about, you need between 13 and 20 Iron Dome batteries. A battery today costs about $60-80 million. An interceptor is $30,000-$50,000. If we want 20, and we want, let's say, 100,000 interceptors, this comes out to $5-7 billion." Q: You include a chapter about Israel's policies regarding its own alleged, reported, purported nuclear capabilities, according to foreign media. Isn't this getting a bit silly? Freilich: "It's the best foreign policy decision Israel has ever developed. We enjoy all the benefits of having a declared nuclear capability, without having done so. Everyone in the world is convinced that Israel isn't only a nuclear power, but has a fairly large arsenal. Everyone's convinced we've got a triad (the ability to launch nuclear weapons from the air, sea and land)....And what are the costs? The costs are severe. According to U.S. law, the United States must impose a complete end to relations...no military aid and no diplomatic support."
2018-07-20 00:00:00
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