NI: Israel is afraid to transfer Iron Dome air defense systems to Ukraine
Israeli General Yaakov Nagel in an article for the National Interest (NI) declaredthat Russia can intercept and study the most advanced Iron Dome air defense system in the West.
According to him, in this regard, Tel Aviv will not transfer them to Kyiv after Washington. “Israel rightly fears that if anti-missile installations are deployed, then Russia will take possession of them on the battlefield,” writes Nagel.
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The general added that Israel itself needs an urgent replenishment of air defense units with “domes”, and the production of systems takes time. He stressed that the Ukrainian side should not expect a quick result from the acquisition of air defense, since training in working with them also takes time. He also noted that Israel does not intend to spoil relations with Russia by sending weapons to Ukraine.
Israeli position
After winning the parliamentary elections, Benjamin Netanyahu made a promise to President Volodymyr Zelensky to study the Ukrainian issue after taking office.
During the election campaign, the politician took a controversial position on military assistance to Ukraine. In an interview with USA TODAY, he said that he would consider the possibility of supplying weapons to Kyiv, while in an interview with MSNBC he opposed such a move. According to him, there is a risk that in the future the weapons transferred to Kyiv will fall into the hands of Iran and will be used against Israel itself.
On the issue of weapons, there is always the possibility, and this has happened repeatedly, that weapons that we have supplied to any war zone end up in the hands of Iran and are used against us.
Netanyahu also said that Israel is already supporting Kyiv, accepting Ukrainian refugees and sending humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
At the same time, Emmanuel Navon, professor of international relations at Tel Aviv University, admitted that the new Israeli government could start supplying weapons to Ukraine.
The political scientist noted that such a step could be a response to the cooperation between Russia and Iran, in particular, reports about the purchase of drones by Moscow.
This was perceived in Israel as an unfriendly act and untied Netanyahu’s hands in the issue of Israel’s military assistance to Ukraine.
At the same time, Navon ruled out the supply of components of the Israeli Iron Dome missile defense system to Ukraine. “This is a very advanced technology, and it is unlikely that Israel will share it,” he said.
US assistance to Ukraine
US President Joe Biden said that Washington will supply Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM) to Kyiv. In addition, the American leader promised to train the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in the correct use of the Patriot air defense system.
We are going to continue to strengthen Ukraine’s ability to defend itself, especially air defense. That is why we are going to provide Ukraine with a Patriot missile battery.
Prior to this, the White House explained the principle according to which Ukraine will use weapons from the United States. John Kirby, strategic communications coordinator at the White House National Security Council, noted that the weapons sent to Kyiv should be used solely for self-defense purposes.
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“Everything that we send to Ukraine is designed so that they can defend themselves: either return the territories, or protect those territories that they have already liberated,” he said.
At the same time, Biden previously admitted that the transfer of modern weapons to Ukraine would put NATO in Europe at risk.
The idea that we will provide Ukraine with materials that are fundamentally different from those that are already going there, can lead to a rupture of NATO and the European Union, as well as the whole world.
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