The Patriot alone is not enough. A new Israeli air system in anticipation of Iran

Muhammad Mohsen Wad-Occupied Jerusalem

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu crowned his exploitation of the "Scarecrow of Iran" with a new military project to establish an air defense system to improve capabilities to deal with cruise missiles. It costs up to $ 1 billion. In anticipation of "Iranian attacks" targeting Israel similar to the attack on oil installations in Saudi Arabia.

During a two-and-a-half-hour meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu told the security cabinet that the aim of the new project was "to deal with cruise missiles under the Iranian threat, especially after the attack attributed to Tehran against oil installations in Saudi Arabia."

The meeting was the first of its kind in two months, according to the site "Mako" Israeli, which explained that the invitation to the meeting "took place quickly and amid astonishment, and they discussed a scenario similar to the attack attributed to Iran on Saudi oil installations, with the continued launch of cruise missiles towards Israeli targets , And ways of dealing with a similar attack.

According to the Israeli official Kan TV, the cabinet reviewed recent developments in the region. One participant said the Iranians had doubled their offensive activity, which culminated during the attack on Saudi oil facilities, and that the US response to the process was, in their view, entirely negative.

The "threat" presented to ministers included the possibility of launching cruise missiles at Israel, the channel said, adding that it is relatively similar to US Tomahawk missiles, long-range missiles reaching long distances.

It is noteworthy that Israel has several air defense systems, including the Patriot American advanced missiles, as well as the system of "iron dome" dedicated to counter the rockets of the resistance in the Gaza Strip, mainly, and rockets Hezbollah Lebanese.

"We are not Saudi"
Commenting on the new air project, Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz said Israel was not Saudi Arabia and "we have defensive, offensive and other intelligence and operational capabilities. We must be prepared."

Asked about the US president's failure to respond to the attack on Saudi oil installations, he said: "(Donald) Trump is a great friend, and Iranian activity is frenetic, but how the Americans exercise their power is their own business, and Israel has always been interested in its affairs."

For his part, warned the head of the research section of the Intelligence Division while talking to "Can" that there is the possibility of launching cruise missiles into Israel through Iraq, saying that the need for the new air project increased after the recent attack against Saudi oil installations.

A preliminary analysis of the huge damage in the attack on Aramco, according to estimates by the Military Intelligence Division, shows that the Iranians "are able to bypass the radar of the Patriot missile system in Saudi Arabia."

In his view, the attacks on Aramco have alarmed the Israeli military, which would require changes in defensive readiness.

Alon Ben-David, a military analyst at Channel 13, said there was no immediate indication of an immediate threat to an Iran war against Israel, despite growing tensions between Tehran and Tel Aviv.

Timing
Amos Harel, a military analyst for Haaretz, said in an article that Netanyahu "took advantage of the Iranian attack on two Saudi oil facilities to ask the cabins to allocate additional budgets to the Ministry of Defense."

"Israel is required to modernize its detection and monitoring systems and to some extent change the way it operates and perhaps strengthen existing systems such as the David Sling System and the Magic Wand System, to counter medium-range, anti-aircraft and US-made Patriot Pack 2 missiles."

Regarding the timing of waving again the Iranian threat in light of the crisis of government in Israel, he said, "Netanyahu has used the Iranian scarecrow and the Iranian card many times."

Netanyahu "urged the US president to withdraw from the nuclear deal in a way that contributed to the escalation of tensions between Tehran and Washington," he said. "At this point, Trump refuses to continue military pressure on Tehran, preferring instead to start talks with it."