There is a new kind of war going on now. One that is paid for and delivered by your tax dollars. All my life I have heard of the constant battles between Israel and their neighbors. It was always horrible bloody images on the nightly news and only put aside for awhile when we had to witness Vietnam or the Iraq war or Afghanistan battles. Now, America has provided Israel such a unique weapon system that you would think would only be in a science fiction movie.

It is very real with a name that sounds like it should be with our comic book hero Iron Man. It is called the Iron Dome and it is very expensive and very reliable. So reliable that people continue with their daily lives while they simply watch bombs being destroyed in the sky like it was some kind of fireworks display. Instead of killing people, Iron Dome saves them by intercepting rockets loaded with explosives before they can land on innocent civilians and it does all this in less time than it took for you to read these two paragraphs.

The system was developed by Israel with hundreds of millions of dollars of support from the United States. It is so innovative that it is called a game changer in the world of warfare. It is already supporting and providing much relief and less work for the Israeli Military force. However, why is our government providing so much support to this place? Why can’t the average tax payer get to vote on where our Military dollars are spent? We have communities here in America that have been assaulted by storms and natural disasters that don’t seem to be getting any support or relief from their unwanted problems.

Over the past 11 years over 15,000 rockets and mortars have been fired at Israel by Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas the Islamic Resistance Movement in the Gaza strip. Now, instead of running and screaming to try to get away from the bombs being shot up in the sky, the people stop to take pictures of one of the Israeli bombs seeking and destroying the enemies attempts to kill them. Bombs are sent from the Gaza strip and Israeli bombs intercept them with their own bombs being sent up into the sky from places near Ashkelon thus preventing anything from destroying Tel Aviv.

Iron Dome intercepts the bombs in the air before they can do any damage on the ground. At night the images are even more amazing watching lights streak across the sky and then blow up in a spray of light. The fact that this American funded weapons system can shoot down a short range rocket traveling between 500 and 1,000 mph. is remarkable. It is like a bullet shooting down another bullet. A few years ago when the idea was just written on paper, no one believed it was really possible.

It is run by battery so it can be placed anywhere. Each battery has it’s own radar, command, control center and launchers that fire the interccepting missiles. The equipment is worth about $50 Million dollars. When Hamas launches a rocket, Iron Dome detects it and the computers calculates where it will land. If it is headed for an empty field, Iron Dome will not waste a interceptor on it. If it is going towards a populated area, the system will figure out the best place to intercept the rocket so that the falling shrapnel will not do any harm. Then, within 3 yo 5 seconds a soldier has to decide whether to fire or not. It is not automatic, a soldier must make that final decision to intercept a rocket. The enemy rocket takes just 15 seconds to land at its destination.

The literal rocket scientist who invented this weapon interceptor refuses to reveal his identity but the company that manufactures the weapon is very vocal. The company is called Rafael. The company is proud to reveal that this past November more fire was directed at southern Israel in an 8 day battle than in all of Israel’s previous wars and that Iron Dome prevented damage to the city.

Israel was ready for full war with 75 thousand soldiers and hundreds of armored vehicles who were called up ready for an invasion of Gaza. Because of Iron Dome Israel did not have to invade Gaza. The expense for all this is costing Americans an outrageous amount of our tax paying dollars. Each interceptor costs $75,000 dollars. The enemy rockets are being built for as little as $500 dollars.

In return for our gift to Israel all we ask is for Israel to stop expanding settlements into the Gaza strip since it is so upsetting to their enemies. Israel refuses to honor our request but continually asks and receives more money for more protection. America is a very generous country.  The United States has already provided Israel $270 Million dollars to help build Iron Dome.  It is in addition to the $3 Billion dollars Israel receives annually from America in Military aid.