February 19, 2017 11 News & Analysis Palestine Israel Israel boosts missile defences against Hezbollah

Nicholas Blanford fence plans,” Iranian Defence Min- ister Hossein Dehghan declared on February 6th. Beirut Iran and Hezbollah have long de- pended on rockets and missiles as srael’s mid-level anti-missile a form of deterrence against Israel. system known as David’s Sling Since the end of the 34-day war in is close to becoming operation- 2006 between Hezbollah and Is- al just as tensions are building rael, the Lebanese group is believed once more between the United to have amassed new and longer- IStates and Iran. range missiles, some fitted with The system passed its final tests guidance capabilities. in January amid expectations that it could soon be deployed to de- Iran and Hezbollah fend sensitive sites in Israel against have long depended Hezbollah’s arsenal of missiles on rockets and and rockets, estimated by Israel at about 140,000 of all types. missiles as a form of David’s Sling is a mid-level anti- deterrence against missile system, wedged between Israel. Iron Dome, which is designed to shoot down short-range rock- ets, and the Arrow system, which In February 2016, Hezbollah Sec- targets ballistic missiles outside retary-General Hassan Nasrallah Earth’s atmosphere, Israel’s first warned that his organisation “has line of defence. the ability to cover the entirety of In January, the Israeli Air occupied Palestine with missiles. Force deployed its first units of the We must keep this capability be- Arrow 3, the latest and most ad- cause it acts as a deterrent for the vanced weapon of the anti-missile third Lebanon war.” armoury If David’s Sling is soon deployed At the end of January, Iran fired a alongside Iron Dome batteries, Isra- A 2016 file picture shows an inactive version of Israel’s air defence system David’s Sling at a media Khorramshahr medium-range mis- el will have the theoretical ability to event at Hatzor Airbase near Tel Aviv. (Reuters) sile, the first test launch since US knock out all variants of a surface- President Donald Trump took of- to-surface missile in Hezbollah’s fice. Trump tweeted that Iran was arsenal. ets. Instead, the mere threat was striking Israeli territory daily, com- the conflict as short as possible by “playing with fire”. Israel’s anti-missile network, sufficient to paralyse northern -Is pelling civilians to seek cover. unleashing its air force to wreak however, cannot overcome the rael. About 80% of the population In the past, the threatened ar- unrestricted havoc across Lebanon Israel’s mid-level strategic challenge posed by Hez- of Kiryat Shmona, the main town eas in Israel were limited to the far — far in excess of the destruction anti-missile system bollah’s rockets, which is not re- in northern Galilee, had fled the north but given the longer range of wrought in 2006 — to force Hezbol- lated to the number of casualties expected bombardment. Economic many Hezbollah rockets today, all lah to stop. known as David’s caused nor the amount of damage losses ran at $2.4 million a day. of Israel is under threat. “The results of the third Lebanese Sling is close to inflicted but to shutting down the The presence of a multi-tier an- In the event of another war, Israel war will be devastating,” Giora Ei- becoming operational. Jewish state. ti-missile defence system arrayed will be effectively paralysed with land, former head of Israel’s Nation- In February 2000, three months across northern and central Is- airports and seaports closed and al Security Council, warned in 2016. before Israel abandoned a border rael will not change these strategic schools and businesses across the “A war declared between Israel Michael Flynn, then US national strip it had occupied in Lebanon problems if another war breaks out. country shut for the duration of the and Lebanon, where Hezbollah is security adviser, said the Trump since 1978, a surge of Israeli casu- Israeli intelligence estimates that conflict. part of the national political infra- administration was putting Iran “on alties triggered air attacks against Hezbollah will attempt to fire up to Israel’s influential Institute for structure, will cause great damage notice” and the US government im- Lebanese infrastructure targets. 1,500 missiles a day in that conflict. National Security Studies conclud- to Lebanon, which nobody’s inter- posed fresh sanctions on companies Expecting Hezbollah to swiftly Hezbollah would be expected ed in January that Hezbollah’s vast ested in — not Lebanon, not the US, and individuals connected to Iran’s launch a barrage of Grad rockets to launch its short-range weap- arsenal of missiles and rockets “are not Europe, Syria or Iran.” ballistic programme. In response, into northern Israel in reprisal, the ons, with a reach of up to 70km, in turning Hezbollah into the most Iran conducted further test-firings Israeli government ordered a 48- swarms to overwhelm anti-missile severe threat currently facing the Nicholas Blanford is the author of on February 4th. hour state of emergency in which batteries. Even if Iron Dome and Da- (Israeli military) in particular and Warriors of God: Inside Hezbollah’s “The recent test was in line with some 300,000 residents were vid’s Sling achieve an 80% hit rate Israel in general”. Thirty-Year Struggle Against Israel our plans and we will not allow moved to bomb shelters. against the predicted onslaught, Given the scale of the threat, (Random House 2011). He lives in foreigners to interfere with our de- Hezbollah never fired the rock- that would leave 300 projectiles some analysts say Israel must keep Beirut. 2017 is the year of sad anniversaries for Palestinians

Viewpoint 017 is the year of anniver- Arab states and a special interna- best endeavours to facilitate the did not live on it without consulting saries for Palestinians. tional regime for the city of Jerusa- achievement of this object, it being November those whose land it was. Sadly, none can be lem. While the Zionist movement clearly understood that nothing Last December, in a speech to celebrated. accepted the resolution, the Pales- shall be done which may prejudice 2nd is the Conservative Friends of Israel, The first of these will be tinians and Arab states rejected it the civil and religious rights of perhaps British Prime Minister Theresa May May 15th — the 69th an- because they viewed it as violating existing non-Jewish communities in the most referred to the Balfour declaration 2niversary of the catastrophe, known the principle of self-determination. Palestine or the rights and political as “one of the most important let- significant as the Nakba when Israel was cre- November 2nd is perhaps the status enjoyed by Jews in any other ters in history” and that “it demon- ated in the Palestinian homeland most significant anniversary. This country.” anniversary, strates Britain’s vital role in creating without their permission. It also year marks the centenary of what The declaration was made before marking the a homeland for the Jewish people”. Kamel marks the period when 750,000 the Balfour declaration, the letter Britain was given the mandate on centenary of She said “it is an anniversary we will Hawwash Palestinians were driven out to from British Foreign secretary Palestine and without any consulta- be marking with pride”. neighbouring countries by Zionist Arthur Balfour to Lord Rothschild of tion with the indigenous popula- the Balfour In his address to the UN General gangs and Israeli armed forces. the Zionist Federation in which he tion of Palestine. declaration. Assembly in 2016, Palestinian Presi- Early June brings the 50th an- stated: Through this, dent Mahmoud Abbas stated: “We niversary of the six-day war, when “His Majesty’s Government view Britain prom- ask Great Britain, as we approach Israel captured the remainder of with favour the establishment in ised a land it 100 years since this infamous historic Palestine, the Syrian Golan Palestine of a national home for the did not have to declaration, to draw the necessary Heights and the Egyptian Sinai. Jewish people and will use their a people who lessons and to bear its historic, While Sinai was returned to Egypt, legal, political, material and the West Bank, East Jerusalem, moral responsibility for the Gaza and the Syrian Golan Heights consequences of this declara- remain occupied. This occupation is tion, including an apology to seen as illegal by the international the Palestinian people for the community. Israel’s annexation of catastrophes, misery and injus- East Jerusalem and the Golan is not tice this declaration created and recognised by any other country. to act to rectify these disasters and June also marks the tenth anni- remedy its consequences, includ- versary of Israel’s blockade on Gaza. ing by the recognition of the state In November, two events that ir- of Palestine…This is the least Great revocably changed the future of his- Britain can do.” toric Palestine will be marked. No- It seems Abbas’s words fell on vember 29th is the 70th anniversary deaf ears. Not only has Britain of the UN General Assembly passing refused to apologise, May recently Resolution 181, which recommend- rolled out the Downing Street red ed the partition of Palestine at the carpet for Israeli Prime Minister end of the British Mandate. Binyamin Netanyahu. The resolution recommended the In the meantime, Israel continues creation of independent Jewish and to violate UN resolutions with im- punity and Palestinians can expect more bad anniversaries to mark. June also marks the tenth anniversary of Israel’s blockade Kamel Hawwash is a British-based A 2016 picture shows a Palestinian youth waving the national flag on the 68th Palestinian university professor and of Gaza. anniversary of the Nakba. (AFP) writer.