Israel spurns C-Ram anti-rocket system | Jerusalem Post

Israel spurns C-Ram anti-rocket system | Jerusalem Post

This article indicates that Israel can effectively prevent most Kassam rockets form landing on Sderot for the cost of four, $15 Million systems that the Israelis are unwilling to buy, preferring a homegrown super system that will be available in 2011. We use this system to protect the Green Zone in Baghdad, and the Brits use it to protect their critical assets in Iraq from mortars, artillery and rockets. It might not be 100% perfect, and will not stop the psychological damage of knowing you are being shelled, but if it can protect this level f protection, it is criminal that it not be deployed by the Israelis and reflects the moral bankruptcy of Israel's leadership.

Several interesting ideas in the talk back blog to this column with regard to this missile system:

1. Israel use the tax revenue that it withholds form the Palestinians to pay for this device -- the Palestinian democratically-elected government is causing the problems, let them pay for this partial solution.

2. Simultaneously with deploying a mostly effective solution like this, Israel should announce that a 100 meter radius around each Kassam launch site will be deemed a military target and be obliterated, putting more pressure on civilians to do something about the launch of these rockets from their land, and their democratically chosen government (again, we must not let the Pals off the hook for this -- this terrorist government is by their own creation, not imposed from the outside, and they must bear the consequences for their irresponsible democratic action -- enough low expectations of the Arabs -- hold them responsible for their own actions).

3. Ominously, one step removed form number 2, one person suggests that Israel allows its own "militant movement" to develop, manufacture their own Kassams, and let them fly. I am worried because I do see an increasing danger of rebellion by elements of the Israeli military against their government's lack of willingness to take decisive action against Gaza, while one town in Southern Israel withers and dies. Last week, over 100 Israeli army reserve officers from Sderot demonstrated against the government's restraint against Gaza as immoral and destroying their homes, the obverse of the Zionist dream. Keep an eye on this development as it spreads. One well-placed tragedy (another Gaza terrroist attack or kidnapping against Israeli soldiers, leading to bad casualties, or a truck bombing) and this could develop into a broad movement quickly. I am not suggesting the possibility of a military coup, but this government is stupid enough to defy the will of the people for so long before something may pop in Israel's dysfunctional democratic system.

Stay tuned...