15 Iyar 5779
20 May 2019
The “Almost” Exactly Correct Quote Of The Day
“A situation in which there are 300 different terrorist attacks per month on the average in [Judea and Samaria] is a catastrophe and a scandal. Our protest is against the army, which simply, when it comes to popular terror and also a little beyond that, has failed miserably. The fact that we live is a daily miracle but the time has come to put an end to the terror.”
Yitzhak Ariel, leader of a protest yesterday in Gush Etzion
The protest followed the firebombing of a bus carrying teenaged girls near the Tati-Junction in eastern Gush Etzion. A video of that horrific attack surfaced immediately after the assault, and a number of girls had to be treated for trauma.
Why was Ariel’s quote “almost” exactly correct?
Because there are far more than 300 terror attacks per month in Judea and Samaria.
The News On the Israeli Street
Palestinian terror in the last 24 hours . . .
In Judea and Samaria:
Palestinian terrorists attacked the security perimeter fence at Givon, but were repulsed by community security personnel.
Palestinian terrorists attacked Israeli motorists with Molotovs and “rocks” at Tekoa, Hevron, between Reihan and the Barta’a Junction, Al Khader, Deir Nizam, Al-Aruv, and numerous other places.
The above attacks were reported by citizens on the ground to rotter, hakolhayehudi, and Rescue Without Borders. It should also be noted that in some of the above locations, multiple attacks occurred. For example, there were some 10 separate attacks in the Al-Aruv area alone.
On the Gaza border:
Another weekend, more fires.
Particularly hard hit are the areas closest to the border such as this agricultural field that went up in smoke near Nahal Oz on Saturday:
Hitting agricultural fields is a technique that the terrorists in Gaza are using to try to destroy the economy of the kibbutzes and moshavim of southern Israel.
The Madonna Eurovision debacle . . .
Eurovision has finally come to an end. By all accounts it was a spectacular show watched by millions.
Not all Israelis were happy about the competition. Citizens in the south believe it was the fear that Hamas and Islamic Jihad would fire missiles at Tel Aviv during Eurovision that caused our government to once again cowardly agree to a ceasefire with the terrorists two weeks ago. Those residents have taken to calling the scant military operation that the IDF carried out in response to the 750+ missiles fired at them “Operation Eurovision.”
Also, the orthodox and ultra-orthodox community denounced Eurovision from the outset because they said it desecrated Shabbat because much of the work carried out in preparation for the event took place on Saturday, and the lead-up to the finale also took place a week afterward on Saturday.
As you probably know by now, Madonna was hired to sing in the finale as the final votes were being tallied. She sang two of her old songs while wearing the costume of an X eye-patched pirate/priestess. On stage with her were many “dancers” who at various points wore hooded garments meant to resemble some sort of religious cult. In any case, Madonna’s performance was widely panned because of her lip syncing–and the fact that when she did sing she was often out of tune.
One particular point caught the eye of Israelis during the live broadcast:
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Israelis were incensed that a Palestinian flag was on stage.
This display of the Palestinian flag was not cleared by the European Broadcast Union which strictly forbade political representations.
TODAY’S BLOG:
The Iron Dome Is Fast Becoming Obsolete
If the war on the southern border showed anything two weeks ago, it is that the Iron Dome has reached the limit of its usefulness. It will certainly remain a mainstay of short-range Israeli missile defense for years to come, but Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and certainly Hezbollah know exactly how to defeat the Iron Dome.
Consider the facts.
Problem 1. Israel only has 10 Iron Dome batteries for the entire country. These batteries are constantly being moved around from the Gaza border, to the Syrian border, and to the Lebanese border depending on where the IDF perceives is the biggest threat of the moment.
Problem 2. Take a close look at this photo of an Iron Dome battery:
An Iron Dome battery. Take a close look at the top.
As you can see, the Iron Dome contains places for 20 missiles (4 rows of 5 missiles) to be launched at a time. What’s the problem?
As we have reported endlessly, the hydraulic missile launchers in Gaza which fire barrages of 12, 24, or even 36 missiles at a time can easily overcome the system.
Problem 3. Even though the Iron Dome is somewhat of a solution for short-range missiles such as Qassams and Grads, the Iron Dome is no solution for mortars.
And mortars are what are now fired at Israeli communities right on the border every time there is a war. For example, two weeks ago, dozens and dozens of mortars were fired at Nahal Oz. None of them were intercepted by the Iron Dome.
Problem 4. The Iron Dome is unbelievably expensive.
One Iron Dome interceptor missile costs $70,000.
$70,000.
Just think about it. One battery firing 20 missiles costs $1,400,000.
Two weeks ago, the IDF said that 240 interceptors were fired. You can do the math.
And these expensive missiles are being fired at incoming missiles that at the most might cost around $1000–and usually cost much less.
In sum, what is the point of Today’s Blog?
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that Israel needs a new defense strategy. If we are not going to lay waste to the hydraulic launchers in Gaza, we need to develop a laser system that will take down all mortars and missiles.
A student from Malawi, who had worked with an Israeli health volunteer in his country battling AIDS, came up to us as we walked down the street in the UC-Davis Picnic Day Parade and wanted to carry the Israeli flag.