Might Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister Of The State Of Israel, Have A Shylock Political Conversion During Or After A Visit To Ukraine?

Approving Iron Dome System For Kyiv Would Be Bold

The Prime Minister Is A Proponent Of Quid Pro Quo

With Increasing Expectation That Prime Minister Netanyahu Will Visit Ukraine, Why Would He Do So?  Foremost- Deflect From Domestic Political Issues.  When In Trouble, Heads Of State And Heads Of Government Travel.

A Primary Goal Not To Assist Ukraine.  Goal Is To Benefit The State Of Israel.

Specifically Increase Commercial, Economic, Financial, Military, And Political Status With Members Of The United States Congress To Gain Leverage And Expand Opposition To The Yet-To-Be Implemented Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JPCOA) For Iran.

If The State Of Israel Offers To Provide The Iron Dome System To Ukraine, Which Was Developed And Deployed With US$2.6 Billion In United States Taxpayer Borrowed Funds, Prime Minister Netanyahu Will Request Reimbursement From The Biden-Harris Administration.  And He Will Receive It.

He Will Also Make The Case That Having Weakened The Military Muscularity Of The State Of Israel, Albeit Temporarily, By Exporting A Currently Deployed Or Yet-To-Be Deployed Weapon System; Perhaps Creating Fissures With The Government Of The Russian Federation Relating To Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Activity Within The Territory Of Syria; And Likely Increasing The Animosity Of The Government Of Iran By Supporting Ukraine, United States Taxpayers Must Borrow More Funds To Deliver To The State Of Israel.

United States Taxpayers Borrow Nearly US$4 Billion Annually For The State Of Israel Which Has A GDP Of More Than US$500 Billion- Ranking 29th Of 193 Countries.

In Previous Campaigns, Then Candidate Netanyahu Pledged To End United States Taxpayer Support To The State Of Israel.  A Campaign Promise Unkept.

Why Has Israel Not Provided Iron Dome System To Ukraine?  Relationship With Russian Federation More Important Than Territorial Integrity And Survival Of Ukraine.

An Iron Dome System In Maidan Nezalezhnosti Would Bring Important Symbolism.  As Would One Or More Deployed At Boryspil International Airport (KBP) And Lviv Danylo Halytskyi International Airport (LWO).

United States Could Send The Two Iron Dome Systems In Its Inventory.

Media Reporting (25 June 2023): “The Ukrainian embassy in Israel accused the country of “close cooperation” with Russia in a statement published on June 25.  According to the embassy, the signs of Israel's pro-Russian position were almost no humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, several controversial interviews by the country’s Prime Minister Netanyahu, and recent “two rounds of high-level political negotiations with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”  In response, the Israeli Foreign Ministry plans to summon Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Yevgen Kornichuk to reprimand the embassy's statement against Israel's policy regarding Russia's war against Ukraine, The Jerusalem Post wrote.  “There may be progress on humanitarian issues, but you can’t win a war with bandages and antibiotics. We have to have the ability to save people’s lives,” Kornichuk said, The Jerusalem Post reports.  In addition, the Ukrainian Embassy criticized the establishment of another Russian diplomatic mission in Jerusalem, which was called a "Big achievement.”  Earlier, Netanyahu said  in an interview with The Jerusalem Post that it is important for Israel to “continue coordination with Russia to strike Iranian targets in Syria.”  The Israeli PM also added that Israel has “concerns that any systems that we give to Ukraine would be used against us because they could fall into Iranian hands and be used against us.”  "Most of the heads of governments of Western countries, when I explained this, they basically nod in agreement. They understand that Israel is in a different situation from any one of them."”

“28 March 2023

• “Israel is a sovereign country which makes its decisions by the will of its people and not based on pressures from abroad, including from the best of friends.” Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of the State of Israel (2022- ). 

• Q- Are you inviting Prime Minister Netanyahu to the White House, sir?  Do you believe he’ll be coming to Washington?  THE PRESIDENT (Joseph Biden):  Not -- not in the near term.

• Q- Did you speak to him on the phone?  Did you speak to him on the phone in the middle of all this?  THE PRESIDENT (Joseph Biden):  No, I -- I did not.  I delivered a message through our ambassador.”

As the largest annual recipient of monies from United States taxpayers, the State of Israel has an obligation to make available military systems (including the Iron Dome System) to Ukraine as the ability of Ukraine to defend itself is important to the Biden-Harris Administration (2021- ). 

Members of the United States Congress who support the State of Israel will certainly support the reimbursement of the State of Israel- which the State of Israel will seek.  So, the “donation” would be paid by another party- United States taxpayers.

The State of Israel sought and received US$2.6 billion from United States taxpayers, including US$1 billion in 2022, for the development and deployment of the Iron Dome System.

• 2 February 2023- Minister of Foreign Affairs Eli Cohen visited Ukraine.

• 5 March 2022- Prime Minister of the State of Israel, Naftali Bennett, traveled to Moscow to meet with Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation (2000-2008; 2012- ).

• 21 March 2022- Prime Minister of the State of Israel, Naftali Bennett, “expressed willingness to visit Kyiv if there are advances in the talks with Moscow to end the war, an Israeli diplomatic source confirmed Monday.”  Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine (2019- ), invited Prime Minister Bennett to visit Ukraine.  “The Shin Bet (State of Israel Security Agency) has been preparing a security plan for Bennett to visit Kyiv on short notice amid Russian attacks on Ukraine.”

• 3 April 2022- Yair Lapid, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel, using the Twitter platform, commented “It is impossible to remain indifferent in the face of the horrific images from the city of Bucha near Kyiv, from after the Russian army left.  Intentionally harming a civilian population is a war crime and I strongly condemn it.”  Michael Brodsky, Ambassador of the State of Israel to Ukraine, using the platform Twitter, commented “Deeply shocked be the photos from #Bucha.  Killing of civilians is a war crime and cannot be justified.”

• 4 April 2022- Minister of Health of the State of Israel, Nitzan Horowitz, visited Ukraine during which he was quoted commenting upon “the war crimes it is committing in Ukraine.”  He visited the Kochav Meir field hospital which became operational on 21 March 2022 in the city of Mostyska, near the border with Poland.  The US$6.5 million facility with sixty staff (doctors and nurses) can accommodate 150 patients, and was funded by Sheba Medical Center, Schusterman Family Foundation, Joint Organization, Ministry of Health of the State of Israel, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel.

What Is Iron Dome System? (From Wikipedia)

Iron Dome (Hebrew: כִּפַּת בַּרְזֶל, romanized: Kippat Barzel) is a mobile all-weather air defense system developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries. The system is designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets and artillery shells fired from distances of 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) to 70 kilometres (43 mi) away and whose trajectory would take them to an Israeli populated area. From 2011 to 2021, the United States contributed a total of US$1.6 billion to the Iron Dome defense system with another US$1 billion approved by the US Congress in 2022.

Iron Dome was declared operational and initially deployed on 27 March 2011 near Beersheba. On 7 April 2011, the system successfully intercepted a rocket launched from Gaza for the first time On 10 March 2012, The Jerusalem Post reported that the system shot down 90% of rockets launched from Gaza that would have landed in populated areas. In late 2012 Israel said that it hoped to increase the range of Iron Dome's interceptions, from a maximum of 70 kilometres (43 mi) to 250 kilometres (160 mi) and make it more versatile so that it could intercept rockets coming from two directions simultaneously.

With the United States on track to greatly increase funding for Iron Dome, there have been calls for technology transfer and co-production of Iron Dome in the United States. Just as the US and Israel share co-production of the Arrow III missile system, with Boeing manufacturing 40–50 percent of the production content, there has been support in the U.S. Congress, media and think tanks in favor of co-production. The U.S. House of Representatives included report language in its FY-2013 Defense Authorization Act supporting Iron Dome with $680 million but also instructing that the Director of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, Lt. Gen. Patrick O'Reilly, "should explore any opportunity to enter into co-production of the Iron Dome system with Israel, in light of the significant U.S. investment in this system." There were media reports that the Pentagon was requesting similar language in the Senate Defense Authorization Act as well as the respective House and Senate defense appropriations bills for 2013. Adding Iron Dome to the list of high-tech military programs built jointly by both nations would help further strengthen ties between Israel and the United States.

In July 2014 it was announced that Raytheon would be the major U.S. partner in co-production of major components for the Iron Dome's Tamir intercepting missile. The U.S. firm will supply components through various subcontractors. Rafael and Raytheon had teamed to offer the Iron Dome launcher and Tamir interceptor, known as SkyHunter in the U.S., to the U.S. Army as part of its Indirect Fires Protection Capability (IFPC) system, but Dynetics was instead chosen offering a launcher based on the Multi-Mission Launcher firing the AIM-9X Sidewinder.[54]

In addition to their land-based deployment, it was reported in 2017 that Iron Dome batteries would in future be deployed at sea on Sa'ar 6-class corvettes, to protect off-shore gas platforms in conjunction with Israel's Barak 8 missile system.

Foreign Sales

Some Iron Dome systems have been exported. A weakness for most potential markets is that each Iron Dome system protects no more than 100–150 square kilometres (39–58 square miles); this is effective in a small country like Israel, but not for larger states. Even in Israel, the batteries have to be moved around according to perceived risk of attack. Singapore, a sovereign island city-state, is reported to have purchased the Iron Dome, and the US Army has bought two batteries to protect overseas bases.

Azerbaijan: On 17 December 2016, Azerbaijan Defense Industry Minister Yavar Jamalov told reporters that Azerbaijan had reached an agreement with Israel to purchase Iron Dome batteries in the first confirmed foreign sale of the system. The country's acquisition of the system is believed to be related to neighboring Armenia's purchase of Russian Iskander short-range ballistic missiles.

India: On 23 November 2012, The Economic Times reported that Indian Defense planners were considering the possibility of India acquiring an indigenous version of Iron Dome, keeping a close watch on the performance of Iron Dome during the 2012 Operation Pillar of Defense. Several months earlier, the military scientists in the Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) had suggested that India look at a joint development program with Israeli firms to develop an Indian version of Iron Dome. They believed Israel's short range missile defense requirements have several parallels to the Indian threat from Pakistan, which includes a "battlefield range" quasi-tactical ballistic nuclear weapon delivery system, called Nasr, which some Indian defense sources say the Iron Dome might be an effective deterrent against, as well as the vulnerability of its cities to attacks from militants.  “The Israeli team comes and works in our laboratories. Our team goes and works in their laboratories and industries. There is a learning that is taking place which was not there when we buy things and integrate with existing products... we have started discussions about Iron Dome for co-development (in India)," W. Selvamurthy, Chief Controller looking after international cooperation said.  On 8 February 2013, Marshal Norman Anil Kumar Browne, commander of the Indian Air Force, told reporters that Iron Dome is not suitable for the service. The announcement came after two years of discussions. In August 2013, India resumed attempting to acquire the Iron Dome system after Israel agreed to transfer system technology. Iron Dome could complement the domestic long-range Indian Ballistic Missile Defence Programme air defense system.  In 2017, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi signed a series of agreements on defense and technology worth around $2 billion, including a deal to buy the "Iron Dome" system.

Romania: In May 2018, Romania's Romaero signed a deal to purchase the Iron Dome system.

United States: On 16 August 2011, Raytheon Company announced that it had teamed with Rafael to lead marketing in the United States for the Iron Dome system. "Iron Dome complements other Raytheon weapons that provide intercept capabilities to the US Army's Counter Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar initiative at forward operating bases," said Mike Booen, vice president of Raytheon Missile Systems' Advanced Security and Directed Energy Systems product line. "Iron Dome can be seamlessly integrated with Raytheon's C-RAM systems to complete the layered defense."  On 10 November 2011, The Jerusalem Post reported that the US Army had expressed interest in acquiring the system, to be deployed outside forward bases in Iraq and Afghanistan that could potentially be targeted by artillery rockets. The US military had discovered 107 mm rockets in Iraq in the past. Yossi Druker, head of Rafael's Air-to-Air Directorate, said that the initial deal was valued at $100 million, but could reach several hundred million dollars over a number of years. In April 2016, Iron Dome's Tamir interceptor successfully shot down a UAV during a test firing in the United States, the system's first trial on foreign soil.  In January 2019 it was reported that the United States would purchase two Iron Dome batteries for 373 million dollars. The batteries were to be deployed to protect US armed forces in hostile areas of operation. The order was for two command posts and radars, 12 launchers, and 480 missiles and was finalized in August 2019. Rafael announced the first battery's delivery on 30 September 2020. On 13 November 2020, Iron Dome was activated at Fort Bliss to test if it could be connected into the Army's air and missile defense network, to serve as an interim capability to intercept cruise missiles.

In 2020, the service decided against purchasing any more Iron Dome systems, ostensibly over issues integrating it with the new Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) network architecture. The Israeli MOD announced the delivery of the second battery on 3 January 2021.  The Army conducted a live-fire test in August 2021, successfully engaging eight cruise missile surrogates.  On 8 October 2021, it was reported by The War Zone magazine that the 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command announced that week that it was following the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, which required the deployment of an Iron Dome system to an operational theater by the end of 2021, by the temporary and experimental deployment of a system to Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. The battery was to be operated by the 2nd Battalion of the 43rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment. It also stated that there was no plan to conduct a live fire test there. The War Zone added that the Army's 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, then forward-based in Japan, was also to support this deployment. On 9 November 2021, the Wall Street Journal reported that the system was being tested in Guam, and speculated that it would likely be part of an array designed to protect the area against possible attacks by China.

Possible Foreign Sales

NATO: On 10 March 2010, The Jerusalem Post reported that the Israeli Ministry of Defense was in talks with a number of European countries about the possible sale of the system to protect NATO forces deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq.

South Korea: During a visit to Israel in the summer of 2011, Kwon Oh-bong, vice commissioner of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration in Seoul, expressed interest in purchasing the system to counter the threat posed by North Korean artillery, rockets, and missiles.[139] South Korea was considered unlikely to buy the Iron Dome system due to the number of artillery pieces it would face, the coverage it would need to provide (around Seoul), and the high cost of interceptors; effort is being focused on disrupting the "Kill Chain" to immediately detect and destroy artillery and missile units. In August 2014, South Korea once again emerged as interested in buying the Iron Dome system for protection against rocket attacks. In October 2017, South Korea announced it would develop its own Iron Dome-type C-RAM system using hit-to-kill interceptors. Although they had considered buying Iron Dome, they determined the system had been developed primarily to counter mortar shells, and so was unsuited against the more powerful artillery rockets they would have to defend against.

Saudi Arabia: On 14 September 2021, it was revealed by Breaking Defense that Saudi Arabia is considering adding the Iron Dome missile defense system to its inventory after the US withdrew the THAAD and the MIM-104 Patriot out of Prince Sultan Air Base.

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