J Post editorial
Jerusalem Post, Aug. 21, 2023
“… in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Europe today is more aware of security threats and the need for modern defense systems.”
The announcement last week that the US had approved Israel’s sale of its Arrow-3 missile defense system to Germany is important and its significance stems not only from the financial aspect, but also from deeply symbolic reasons. On the economic side, the deal is expected to eventually be worth $3.5-4 billion, making it the largest defense deal in Israel’s history. From an emotional viewpoint, it is impossible to ignore the significance of the Jewish state, 75 years after its creation, selling a state-of-the-art defense system to Germany, of all places.
As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu summed up in a statement: “Today is a historic day. Israel has signed the largest security deal in its history. However, it is not just a security deal; Israel is selling the sophisticated Arrow-3 missile to Germany.
“Seventy-five years ago, the Jewish People had been ground into ash on the soil of Nazi Germany. Seventy-five years later, the state of the Jews is giving Germany, a different Germany, the tools to defend itself. What Israeli pride; what a historic turnaround.”
Israel went from buying weapons from Germany to selling it to them.
Israel for many years has bought weapons from Germany, and this is not the first sale of weapons there, but the price tag and sophistication of the defense system put it in a different league. The US had to approve the sale as the project is co-developed and co-produced by the Israel Missile Defense Organization and the United States Missile Defense Agency. When the green light was given last week, moving the deal a crucial stage forward, Israel’s Defense Ministry explained: “With its exceptional long-range interception capabilities, operating at high altitudes above the atmosphere, it [the Arrow-3] stands as the top interceptor of its kind. The system employs a hit-to-kill approach for intercepting incoming threats.” … [To read the full article, click here]