US army to buy Iron Dome missile defence systems from Israel
search

The latest Jewish News

Read this week’s digital edition

Click Here

US army to buy Iron Dome missile defence systems from Israel

American military to purchase at least two batteries of the short range missile system

Israel’s Iron Dome missile defence system
Israel’s Iron Dome missile defence system

The United States will buy at least two batteries of the Iron Dome short-range missile defence systems from Israel.

Israel’s defence Ministry announced Wednesday that the U.S. military will purchase the system from its developer, Rafael Advanced defence Systems Ltd., under an agreement between the ministry and the U.S. Department of defence “for immediate needs of the U.S. Army.”

The defence ministry said it would be deployed to protect U.S. forces overseas.

“This is a great achievement for Israel and another manifestation of the deepening of our steadfast alliance with the US, and an expression of Israel’s rising status in the world,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who also serves as defence minister, said in a statement.

Since it was deployed in 2011, Iron Dome has intercepted over 2,000 rockets fired at Israel from Gaza.

Inside defence first reported the Army’s decision to acquire at least two Iron Dome batteries in January.

In April, 40 Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives in a letter to the top Republican and Democrat on the defence subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee urged inclusion of £386m ($500 million) in the 2019 defence appropriations bill to purchase the system.

Support your Jewish community. Support your Jewish News

Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.

For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.

Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.

You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.

100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...

Engaging

Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.

Celebrating

There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.

Pioneering

In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.

Campaigning

Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.

Easy access

In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.

Voice of our community to wider society

The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.

We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.

read more: