RSS
Israeli Air Defense Operators Learn from Wars Near and Far
An Iron Dome anti-missile system fires an interceptor missile as a rocket is launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, at the sky near the Israel-Gaza border August 7, 2022. REUTERS/Amir Cohen
JNS.org – Israeli air defense operators and system engineers are learning lessons from both local and overseas conflict zones, as a global and regional technological arms race continues to unfold.
In Israel, fighting a multi-front war against Iranian-backed jihadist armies that have fired barrages of drones, cruise missiles and ballistic threats, a rapid and continuous evolution in air defense capabilities is ongoing.
This evolution is somewhat informed by overseas flashpoints such as the Ukrainian-Russian war and even the India–Pakistan flare-up. Iran, meanwhile, continues to mass-produce and develop a host of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones.
The primary challenge remains robust detection and accurate identification of diverse threats, an informed Western observer told JNS.
This is particularly acute with the proliferation of low-cost drones that can be hard to distinguish from benign aerial objects or even friendly assets, as tragically highlighted in past incidents, such as the Oct. 13, 2024, Hezbollah drone strike on the Golani Brigade training base near Binyamina, which killed four soldiers and injured dozens.
“The first question is detection,” the observer stated. “The second is the ability to identify and verify,” he added. “Israel faces this problem with UAV infiltrations, where it’s difficult to distinguish them from, say, helicopters operating on similar routes.”
This complex threat environment is driving significant upgrades across Israel’s renowned multi-layered air defense array.
The Iron Dome
Building on operational lessons from the current war, the Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO) in the Defense Ministry and Haifa-based Rafael Advanced Defense Systems successfully completed a series of comprehensive flight tests for the Iron Dome system in March 2025. These tests examined scenarios simulating current and future threats, including rockets, cruise missiles and UAVs, and incorporated enhancements to the system.
“Throughout this war, we’ve seen that the Iron Dome… remains a critical asset,” said IMDO director Moshe Patel at the time of the trial, adding that its capabilities are continuously being enhanced “on both land and sea—even while operating under fire.”
Rafael CEO Yoav Tourgeman described the current war as the “largest and most significant ever conducted with the Iron Dome.”
The sheer quantity of ordnance expended in modern conflicts, both offensively and defensively, is another critical lesson, according to the Western source.
“One of the key takeaways is the enormous consumption of ammunition,” he stated. This has led to massive American funding for replenishing Israel’s stocks of Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow interceptors.
The Defense Ministry and Israel Aerospace Industries signed a multi-billion-shekel deal in December 2024 to significantly expand the procurement of Arrow 3 interceptors, which are designed to engage long-range ballistic threats of the type the Houthis in Yemen frequently fire at Israel, in space, before they reenter the atmosphere and potentially maneuver.
However, the observer cautioned about waiting for too long for funding to arrive to boost capabilities.
“From the moment a check arrives until a missile is delivered, factoring in supply chain issues, it can be years. Aid is announced, [but] takes months to arrive, and then often comes in batches.”
This necessitates sophisticated planning and, at times, for the Defense Ministry to take calculated risks to fund production gaps, or “bridge,” as the source said, needing to overcome bureaucratic elements focused strictly on procedure.
The war in Ukraine offers a stark illustration of high-intensity air warfare. “The Ukrainians and Russians are on a contact line reminiscent of World War I, though the Russians are slowly pushing,” he said.
For Ukraine, with its vast territory and roughly 100 brigades to equip, the primary need is for tactical, shorter-range air defense systems, supplemented by longer-range air defense capabilities like the Patriot mobile interceptor missile surface-to-air missile (SAM) system. “They don’t need many long-range strike assets; what they have, they use effectively, converting various systems to strike deep into Russia,” he said.
A significant development in Ukraine has been the extensive use of drones with fiber-optic tethers for secure communications, a response to potent Russian electronic warfare (ECM) capabilities.
However, the observer clarified, “It’s not really a new genre.” In fact, he argued, it’s the anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) that has significantly hampered Russian armored advances.
For that threat, Israeli armored vehicles are equipped with active protection systems—either the Rafael Trophy for tanks or Elbit Systems’ Iron Fist.
Israel, the observer continued, must enhance defenses for its own heavy unmanned aerial vehicles, and even its helicopters, drawing lessons from incidents like Houthi attacks on expensive American drones.
This necessitates bolstering “soft-kill” capabilities, primarily those targeting Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS—the generic term for a range of satellite navigation system—including GPS, GLONASS and Galileo).
“Soft defense is strengthening today, mainly because a large part of attack assets use GNSS,” he explained. “Its advantage is that it generally affects everyone in the area, requires relatively few personnel and resources, and is much cheaper than kinetic [firepower] interceptors.”
Manpower remains a primary constraint for Israel, as it is for many European nations, the source noted, when it comes to air defenses. “People don’t realize this is the first limitation,” the observer stressed.
While Israel can utilize trained reservists, especially for systems such as older artillery cannons, automation is being pursued, though its ability to fully compensate for manpower shortages is debatable without compromising certain command structures preferred by the Air Force.
The Iron Beam
Looking to the future, Israel is on the cusp of deploying a revolutionary capability: the Iron Beam high-energy laser system. Developed by Rafael and the Defense Ministry, Iron Beam is expected to be operational by the end of 2025 and will be integrated into Israel’s multi-layered defense network.
Rafael confirmed to JNS in mid-March that “the system has already demonstrated successful interceptions, and Rafael, together with Israel’s defense establishment, is accelerating its deployment.”
A senior Defense Ministry official described it in March as a “technological breakthrough at the global level,” capable of downing rockets, mortars, UAVs and cruise missiles.
The most significant advantage of Iron Beam is its low cost. “Each interception costs only a few dollars in electricity,” Rafael stated, fundamentally changing the economic equation where adversaries launch cheap projectiles against expensive interceptors. A single Iron Dome Tamir interceptor costs around $50,000, while terrorist rockets can cost as little as $500.
Iron Beam, with its 100-kilowatt laser and an effective range of eight-10 kilometers, will provide “continuous protection with an unlimited interception capacity,” according to a Rafael source. It will be connected to Israel’s national threat detection grid and will complement Iron Dome, with command algorithms deciding when to use lasers versus missiles.
While ground-based initially, laser systems are also being developed for mobile ground units, and airborne platforms, with a successful 2021 test of an airborne laser intercepting UAVs in the skies. This technology is being closely watched internationally, with Lockheed Martin partnering with Rafael to develop an export version for the U.S. market.
Preparing for the future
To address urgent operational needs during the current war, the IDF also confirmed the deployment of Rafael’s Spyder mobile air defense system. The Spyder All-in-One (AiO) version, which integrates radar, command, launcher and camera sensor on a single vehicle for high mobility, is in service and has conducted several successful UAV interceptions.
The Israeli Air Force also announced on May 6 the establishment of a new air defense battalion, though details of its specific systems (whether laser, Spyder or other) were not disclosed, it points to ongoing expansion and specialization of air defense units.
Every interception, or failure to intercept, provides invaluable data. “Every attack event in Ukraine, Israel, or India-Pakistan is accompanied by lessons learned,” the observer noted.
He pointed to instances where even advanced systems like Arrow 3, which successfully intercepts ballistic missiles in space, don’t always achieve a kill, sometimes due to the complexities of discriminating the warhead carrying reentry vehicle from other debris, like the spent motor, especially when these components travel at similar speeds. “The interceptor is not 100%; it depends on many other things,” including correct target identification by the detection system.
On May 4, a Houthi ballistic missile fired at Ben-Gurion Airport hit near a terminal building after an Arrow 3 interceptor, as well as a U.S. THAAD interceptor, missed it. The IAF later concluded that its interceptor suffered a rare malfunction.
The arms race between air defenders and attackers does not look to be slowing down any time soon.
The post Israeli Air Defense Operators Learn from Wars Near and Far first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Palestinian Islamic Jihad Rejects Trump’s Gaza Plan, Pressures Hamas to Follow Suit as Trump Issues Deadline
The secretary-general of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group, Ziyad Nakhaleh, attends a news conference in Tehran, Iran, Aug. 7, 2022. Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
The terrorist group Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) has denounced US President Donald Trump’s peace plan to end the war in Gaza, intensifying pressure on its ally Hamas to oppose the proposal as divisions over post-war governance deepen.
PIJ Secretary-General Ziyad al-Nakhalah rejected Trump’s 20-point proposal for Gaza, which the US president unveiled on Monday, accusing it of serving only Israel’s interests.
The terrorist leader described the plan as a “formula for perpetuating the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian nation.”
“Israel aims to enforce, with the support of the United States, what it could not accomplish through military action,” al-Nakhalah said in a statement.
“Consequently, we view the US-Israeli declaration as a catalyst for escalating conflict in the region,” he continued.
Trump gave Hamas “three or four days” on Tuesday to accept the US-backed peace plan for Gaza, warning of “a very sad end” if the Palestinian terrorist group rejected the proposal.
“Hamas is either going to be doing it or not, and if it’s not, it’s going to be a very sad end,” Trump said as he left the White House. Asked whether there was room for further talks on the proposal, he replied, “Not much.”
Alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump unveiled his peace plan at the White House on Monday, calling for the release of all remaining Israeli hostages within 48 hours, the demilitarization of Gaza including the disarmament of Hamas, and the phased withdrawal of Israeli troops from the territory.
The plan, for which Israel announced its support, outlines “a modest withdrawal” of Israeli forces, followed within 72 hours by the release of all remaining Israeli hostages still held in Gaza.
Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists from Gaza, including members of PIJ, started the current war with their Oct. 7, 2023, invasion of and massacre across southern Israel, where they murdered 1,200 people and kidnapped 251 hostages. Israel responded with a military campaign aimed at freeing the hostages and dismantling Hamas’s military capabilities and political rule in Gaza, which borders the Jewish state to the south. Currently, 48 hostages remain in captivity, and 20 of them are believed to be alive.
The process proposed by Trump would be overseen by a Board of Peace – which would include leaders from Arab countries, Israel, and the US – with a new international body responsible for disarming Hamas and managing Gaza’s demilitarization.
Although Hamas has yet to formally respond to the proposed deal, the terrorist group denounced Trump’s announcement as “an attempt to stifle international momentum and recognition of the Palestinian state.”
“We will not accept any proposal that does not include the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and protection from massacres,” Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu expressed his support for Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza, saying it “achieves our war aims.”
“If Hamas rejects US President Donald Trump’s plan, or if they supposedly accept it and then basically do everything to counter it, then Israel will finish the job by itself,” the Israeli leader said during a joint press conference at the White House.
“This can be done the easy way, or it can be done the hard way. But it will be done,” he continued.
Several Arab and European leaders have also backed Trump’s plan. The president told reporters on Tuesday that “we’re just waiting for Hamas” to make its decision.
At Monday’s press conference, Trump also warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting the proposed deal, saying he would endorse the continuation of the war.
“If Hamas rejects the deal, Bibi, you will have our full backing to finish the job of destroying the threat of Hamas,” Trump said, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname.
The peace plan also includes amnesty for Hamas members who renounce violence, allowing them to leave the territory, and promises a major boost in humanitarian aid along with a US-backed economic development initiative to rebuild the war-torn enclave.
For its part, the Palestinian Authority (PA) welcomed Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza as the group seeks to secure a role in post-war governance.
Western powers have been negotiating with the PA on conditions for Gaza governance after Hamas is removed from power, while the PA continues to pledge reforms — a strategy experts say is unlikely to succeed given its lack of credibility and ongoing support for terrorism against Israel.
Jewish leaders have argued that these Western governments appear to be accepting the PA’s promises of reform at face value, rather than waiting to see if its behavior truly changes.
The PA, which has long been riddled with accusations of corruption, has maintained for years a so-called “pay-for-slay” program, which rewards terrorists and their families for carrying out attacks against Israelis.
During Monday’s press conference, Netanyahu reiterated that the PA would have no role in Gaza after the war unless the group undergoes significant reforms.
“The Palestinian Authority can have no role whatsoever in Gaza without undergoing a radical and genuine transformation,” the Israeli leader said.
RSS
US Rep. Ro Khanna Blasts AIPAC at Anti-Israel Conference Where Speakers Defend Hamas, Oct. 7 Attack
US Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) speaks as House members hold a press conference in Washington, DC, on Sept. 3, 2025. Photo: Josh Morgan-USA Today Network via Reuters Connect
US Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat widely reported to be considering a 2028 presidential bid, accused pro-Israel advocates of distorting Democratic Party priorities at a major Arab-American gathering known as ArabCon 2025 in Dearborn, Michigan late last week.
The remarks came amid a string of fiery statements from conference panelists opposing Israel and defending the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas which drew cheers from the crowd and criticism from outside observers.
Speaking on Saturday alongside “The Young Turks” host Cenk Uygur, Khanna was asked why many Democrats in the US Congress “hate their own voters” and shy away from allegedly popular policies.
“It’s money,” Khanna responded, before targeting the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a prominent lobbying group that seeks to foster bipartisan support for a strong US-Israel alliance.
“You know, every other week, I get AIPAC attacking me, it’s like someone hasn’t cued them in that every time they attack me, my popularity goes up,” the lawmaker said. He also suggested that Democrats fear headlines labeling them as standing with “pro-terror radicals” for attending events like ArabCon.
“You can be true and consistent in either standing with people and standing with human rights and convictions, or you can do the bidding of interest groups and people in power,” Khanna said.
Though Khanna identifies as an ally of Israel, he has become increasingly critical of the Jewish state amid the war in Gaza in recent months, accusing the Israeli military of recklessly killing Palestinians while pushing for US recognition of a Palestinian state.
ArabCon only grew more heated as other panelists spoke over the course of the weekend. For example, Zahra Billoo, executive director of the San Francisco chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), praised the shuttered Holy Land Foundation, once the largest Muslim charity in the United States and later convicted of funneling money to Hamas.
“One of the most seminal cases of that era that I think we should all know about is the Holy Land Foundation, and what happened to the five co-founders of that incredible charity,” Billoo said. She described its founders as “incredible, generous, kind, beautiful men.”
The Algemeiner reported earlier this year that Billoo used the news of former US President Joe Biden’s cancer diagnosis as an opportunity to warn the former commander-in-chief of the eternal punishment tied to his administration’s support for the Jewish state during the conflict in Gaza. Months earlier, she shared a post on social media that read in part, “Hamas deserves a Nobel Peace Prize.”
Billoo accused Israel of “genocide” on social media in 2021 and, last year, seemingly issued public support for Hamas, wishing for “the resistance be victorious.” That same year, she also condemned those who fundraise for the Israel Defense Force, writing on X, “Could you make the same fundraising effort for Palestinian resistance fighters without being ostracized, suspended, or fired?”
CAIR has long been a controversial organization. In the 2000s, it was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation terrorism financing case. Politico noted in 2010 that “US District Court Judge Jorge Solis found that the government presented ‘ample evidence to establish the association’” of CAIR with Hamas.
Another panel drew headlines when Detroit activist Amer Zahr jokingly asked San Francisco State University professor Rabab Abdulhadi whether she condemned Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, invasion of and rampage across southern Israel. Palestinian terrorists from Gaza murdered 1,200 people and kidnapped 251 hostages during the onslaught, the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.
Despite the atrocities, the ArabCon audience erupted in laughter as Abdulhadi replied, “I condemn Israel and the United States, and all oppression and imperial wars. And I never ever condemn Palestinian resistance.” She argued that Palestinians were “returning to their villages” on Oct. 7, denied that kibbutzim had been targeted, and insisted the operation was aimed at liberating prisoners. Abdulhadi added that Palestinian society has long debated whether tactics such as plane hijackings are legitimate.
Said Arikat, a journalist for Al-Quds newspaper who shared the stage, praised Abdulhadi’s response, calling it “an easy answer.”
Zahr, a board member of Dearborn Public Schools, posted a photo on social media honoring Hassan Nasrallah, the deceased leader of the Hezbollah terrorist group. In a 2021 blog post Zahr condemned “normalization” of Zionism and drew parallels between Zionism and Jim Crow laws targeting Black Americans in the US South.
The comments highlighted the tension surrounding ArabCon, which drew thousands to Dearborn from Sept. 26–28. Organizers billed the convention as a gathering to amplify Arab-American voices in politics.
RSS
Denmark’s National Broadcaster: We Will Not Vote to Ban Israel From 2026 Eurovision Song Contest
Israel’s representative to the Eurovision Song Contest, Yuval Raphael, a survivor of the deadly Oct. 7 2023, attack by Hamas on the Nova festival in Israel’s south, holds an Israeli flag in this handout photo obtained by Reuters on Jan. 23, 2025. Photo: “The Rising Star,” Channel Keshet 12/Handout via REUTERS
Denmark’s national broadcaster DR said on Tuesday it will not vote against Israel when the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) holds a special vote in November to decide if the Jewish state should be excluded from the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) because of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.
“DR supports the ESC as a cultural European event that has brought nations together through music since 1956. As such, we will not vote for any EBU member to be expelled from the competition, as long as they comply with the rules and regulations,” Gustav Lützhøft – head of culture, debate, and music at DR – said in a released statement. He added that DR’s participation in the Eurovision next year “remains conditional on there being a strong international community, control over security, and an apolitical framework around the competition.”
The EBU, which organizes the Eurovision, announced last week that the EBU’s General Assembly will hold an “extraordinary meeting” online in early November during which its members will vote on whether the Israeli public broadcaster KAN will be allowed to participate in the 2026 Eurovision held in Vienna, Austria. Kan released a statement in response to the EBU’s announcement, saying that it hopes the Eurovision “will continue to maintain its cultural and political character.”
“The removal of Israel’s public broadcasting body – one of the veteran, popular, and successful competitors throughout the decades of the competition – and especially on the eve of the 70th anniversary of Eurovision, which stood as a symbol of cooperation, kindness, and brotherhood, could be a step with significant consequences,” KAN added. “We are convinced that the European Broadcasting Union will continue to maintain the apolitical, professional, and cultural nature of the competition, especially on the eve of the 70th anniversary of Eurovision.”
Lützhøft previously stated that Denmark does not plan on withdrawing from the 2026 Eurovision if Israel participates. Meanwhile, several other countries have threatened to pull out of the competition if Israel is not banned, including Spain, The Netherlands, Slovenia, Iceland, and Ireland.
Austria, the host country of the 2026 competition, has not publicly commented on demands to ban Israel from the Eurovision, but Austrian singer JJ, who won this year’s Eurovision, has also called for Israel’s exclusion from next year’s contest.
The 2026 Eurovision will take place in Vienna on May 16, with the semifinals airing on May 12 and 14. KAN announced on Monday that the singer who will represent Israel in the 2026 Eurovision will be selected again this year through the reality show “The Next Star,” which is set to air in Israel in the coming weeks.
Israel’s President Isaac Herzog said in an interview with KAN Reshet Bet radio on Monday that it is important for Israel to participate in the 2026 Eurovision competition. “I have seen dangerous processes that begin with Eurovision and end in other places,” Herzog said. “The delegitimization of Israel and the attempt to exclude us from every possible arena are moves designed to weaken us. It starts with Eurovision but reaches matters that are vital to us. Every arena is important.”