10 nov 2018
Palestinian citizens have condemned the actions of several Hollywood stars who celebrated and raised millions of dollars to fund the Israeli army, last week.
The London-based news outlet Middle East Eye reported, according to Ma’an, that the gala was organized on November 1st, by Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces, adding that Hollywood stars such as Ashton Kutcher, Gerard Butler and Andy Garcia attended and celebrated the event.
The site added that the gala was praised by Israel and its supporters for raising a record $60 million and bringing together more than 1,200 people.
The event was met with condemnation in Palestine and by Palestinians on social media.
One of the organizers of “The Great March of Return,” which takes place every Friday, at the eastern borders of the besieged Gaza Strip, Ahmad Abu Artema, said that “The Israeli army will use these funds to buy more bullets and more bombs, only to kill more civilians.”
“The Great March of Return” protests were launched on March 30th, by thousands of Palestinian refugees demanding their right of return to their homes.
Abu Artema added, “The Israeli army has killed more than 200 civilians and wounded some 20,000; these people were men, women and children calling for basic human rights. They did not pose any threat to the Israeli army.”
“Despite cries of human rights abuses and violations of international law, the voices of Palestinians were nowhere to be heard at the Los Angeles event.”
Attendees at the gala enjoyed a performance by producer and rapper Pharrell Williams, who was recently attacked on social media for asking US President Donald Trump to refrain from playing his song “Happy” at his rallies, only to perform it at this fundraiser for the Israeli army.
Abu Artema said, “It is difficult to understand how actors and performers, who carry the message of life, can support an army that carries out systematic killings, which contradict the essence of life and art.”
“To us, anyone who funds this army has blood on their hands,” he added.
For Mahmoud Shobi, a resident of the West Bank city of Nablus, funds from the US government, US taxpayer money and donations from American citizens have only allowed Israel to “intensify its occupation and colonialism.”
Shobi reportedly lost eight family members in 2002, when US-made bulldozers, bought by Israel, demolished his home with his family still inside.
Shobi said that “Israel has used its money and weapons to destroy our homes, our trees, and kill our people.”
“It doesn’t matter where this money is coming from,” Shobi added, “They’ve labelled us ‘terrorists’, though we fight for our land. Even in ‘peaceful’ resistance, as we see in Gaza, the protesters are being met with live bullets.”
“But, as families of martyrs and political prisoners, as people who are facing the occupation, these donations will only empower us to become more resilient.”
Farid Taamallah, a political activist based in Ramallah, said that he believes more needs to be done to raise awareness of the situation on the ground by the Palestinians in the West.
Taamallah said, “Israel has effective tools to market itself as the only democracy of the Middle East and claim that it holds the same values as the American people, particularly with the Zionist lobby,” adding that “They try to show Israel as a victim of Arab and Muslim terror.”
“We need to work with Palestinians in the US and Europe to change the narrative. We must be more active in raising awareness of where this money goes.”
The activist said that the money raised in Hollywood would undoubtedly be used to further suppress Palestinians, pointing to Israel’s Nation-state law, passed earlier this year.
“Every American dollar donated to the occupation’s state translates into our suffering as a Palestinian people,” Taamallah said.
The London-based news outlet Middle East Eye reported, according to Ma’an, that the gala was organized on November 1st, by Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces, adding that Hollywood stars such as Ashton Kutcher, Gerard Butler and Andy Garcia attended and celebrated the event.
The site added that the gala was praised by Israel and its supporters for raising a record $60 million and bringing together more than 1,200 people.
The event was met with condemnation in Palestine and by Palestinians on social media.
One of the organizers of “The Great March of Return,” which takes place every Friday, at the eastern borders of the besieged Gaza Strip, Ahmad Abu Artema, said that “The Israeli army will use these funds to buy more bullets and more bombs, only to kill more civilians.”
“The Great March of Return” protests were launched on March 30th, by thousands of Palestinian refugees demanding their right of return to their homes.
Abu Artema added, “The Israeli army has killed more than 200 civilians and wounded some 20,000; these people were men, women and children calling for basic human rights. They did not pose any threat to the Israeli army.”
“Despite cries of human rights abuses and violations of international law, the voices of Palestinians were nowhere to be heard at the Los Angeles event.”
Attendees at the gala enjoyed a performance by producer and rapper Pharrell Williams, who was recently attacked on social media for asking US President Donald Trump to refrain from playing his song “Happy” at his rallies, only to perform it at this fundraiser for the Israeli army.
Abu Artema said, “It is difficult to understand how actors and performers, who carry the message of life, can support an army that carries out systematic killings, which contradict the essence of life and art.”
“To us, anyone who funds this army has blood on their hands,” he added.
For Mahmoud Shobi, a resident of the West Bank city of Nablus, funds from the US government, US taxpayer money and donations from American citizens have only allowed Israel to “intensify its occupation and colonialism.”
Shobi reportedly lost eight family members in 2002, when US-made bulldozers, bought by Israel, demolished his home with his family still inside.
Shobi said that “Israel has used its money and weapons to destroy our homes, our trees, and kill our people.”
“It doesn’t matter where this money is coming from,” Shobi added, “They’ve labelled us ‘terrorists’, though we fight for our land. Even in ‘peaceful’ resistance, as we see in Gaza, the protesters are being met with live bullets.”
“But, as families of martyrs and political prisoners, as people who are facing the occupation, these donations will only empower us to become more resilient.”
Farid Taamallah, a political activist based in Ramallah, said that he believes more needs to be done to raise awareness of the situation on the ground by the Palestinians in the West.
Taamallah said, “Israel has effective tools to market itself as the only democracy of the Middle East and claim that it holds the same values as the American people, particularly with the Zionist lobby,” adding that “They try to show Israel as a victim of Arab and Muslim terror.”
“We need to work with Palestinians in the US and Europe to change the narrative. We must be more active in raising awareness of where this money goes.”
The activist said that the money raised in Hollywood would undoubtedly be used to further suppress Palestinians, pointing to Israel’s Nation-state law, passed earlier this year.
“Every American dollar donated to the occupation’s state translates into our suffering as a Palestinian people,” Taamallah said.
28 sept 2018
by Nabil Salem
The government in Israel presents us with more proof, every day, that it represents and adopts an aggressive approach that is not interested in peace, or even willing to respect international laws and conventions. It also gives us evidence that it wages wars for the sake of it and in order to satisfy its rampant desire for aggression and expansion, serving its criminal objectives against the Arabs in general, and the Palestinian people in particular.
Although Israel’s leaders have typically hidden the objectives of their violent wars under various pretexts, such as preventative or pre-emptive action and other justifications that they try to promote to the world, it is noteworthy that, despite their various operational names, these wars are not all that Israel is doing or thinking about. There are wars for other reasons that demonstrate the moral decline of Israel’s ruling establishment and the level of criminality and brutality it has reached.
In a report by Israeli writer Rogel Alpher, in Haaretz, he explains why Israel might launch another war against the people of Gaza.
While the occupying state always tries to justify its aggression as “self-defence”, Alpher reveals that a new war is needed so that the Israeli arms industry and Defence Forces can field test new weapons and ammunition against live targets. This is sickening.
Although he also mentioned that, among the reasons which may lead Israel to war are internal disputes and the upcoming elections, the fact that it can even be talked about testing new weaponry, in this way, is itself criminal and potentially a flagrant violation of all morality and international laws and conventions. It also reaffirms what was revealed by Israeli film-maker Yotam Feldman in his 2013 film, The Lab. So, this is nothing really new.
If we take into account the unjust siege imposed by the Israeli occupation on more than two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, turning the enclave into the largest prison in the world, the testing of Israeli weapons in the territory adds a new and shameful dimension to the ongoing Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people. We can also throw in Israel’s use of internationally banned weapons over a number of years.
We would need a lot of time and effort to record all Israeli crimes committed against the Palestinians, from pre-1948 to today. The state of Israel itself was founded on massacres of Palestinian civilians by Zionist terrorist gangs. Since then, there have been countless crimes committed, including unlawful killings, forced displacement, arbitrary detention, the siege and other unjustifiable restrictions on movement, illegal settlements and discriminatory policies and practices, including openly racist laws.
It goes without saying that Israel would not have been able to commit all of these crimes without the unlimited and unquestioned support of many colonial powers, particularly the US, and the willful disdain for international public opinion and international law. Unfortunately, it seems that such legal restraints are only to be used when it suits the victors of World War Two and the other nuclear powers. They do not intend to restore the rights of oppressed peoples, but to justify persecution or injustice under false slogans and pretexts.
As such, it is logical to say that Israel will not stop committing its crimes, but will intensify them, as long as there is no Arab power ready to stop it or a serious will to contain and limit its criminal role in our region. The colonial state not only threatens peace and security in the Middle East, but also around the whole world. Its weapons testing, on live targets in the besieged Gaza Strip, is a clear demonstration of the fact that Israel will stop at nothing to achieve its aims and objectives.
~ Middle East Monitor/Days of Palestine
Opinion/Analysis 09/25/18 World Bank: Gaza’s Economy Now In ‘Free Fall’
The government in Israel presents us with more proof, every day, that it represents and adopts an aggressive approach that is not interested in peace, or even willing to respect international laws and conventions. It also gives us evidence that it wages wars for the sake of it and in order to satisfy its rampant desire for aggression and expansion, serving its criminal objectives against the Arabs in general, and the Palestinian people in particular.
Although Israel’s leaders have typically hidden the objectives of their violent wars under various pretexts, such as preventative or pre-emptive action and other justifications that they try to promote to the world, it is noteworthy that, despite their various operational names, these wars are not all that Israel is doing or thinking about. There are wars for other reasons that demonstrate the moral decline of Israel’s ruling establishment and the level of criminality and brutality it has reached.
In a report by Israeli writer Rogel Alpher, in Haaretz, he explains why Israel might launch another war against the people of Gaza.
While the occupying state always tries to justify its aggression as “self-defence”, Alpher reveals that a new war is needed so that the Israeli arms industry and Defence Forces can field test new weapons and ammunition against live targets. This is sickening.
Although he also mentioned that, among the reasons which may lead Israel to war are internal disputes and the upcoming elections, the fact that it can even be talked about testing new weaponry, in this way, is itself criminal and potentially a flagrant violation of all morality and international laws and conventions. It also reaffirms what was revealed by Israeli film-maker Yotam Feldman in his 2013 film, The Lab. So, this is nothing really new.
If we take into account the unjust siege imposed by the Israeli occupation on more than two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, turning the enclave into the largest prison in the world, the testing of Israeli weapons in the territory adds a new and shameful dimension to the ongoing Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people. We can also throw in Israel’s use of internationally banned weapons over a number of years.
We would need a lot of time and effort to record all Israeli crimes committed against the Palestinians, from pre-1948 to today. The state of Israel itself was founded on massacres of Palestinian civilians by Zionist terrorist gangs. Since then, there have been countless crimes committed, including unlawful killings, forced displacement, arbitrary detention, the siege and other unjustifiable restrictions on movement, illegal settlements and discriminatory policies and practices, including openly racist laws.
It goes without saying that Israel would not have been able to commit all of these crimes without the unlimited and unquestioned support of many colonial powers, particularly the US, and the willful disdain for international public opinion and international law. Unfortunately, it seems that such legal restraints are only to be used when it suits the victors of World War Two and the other nuclear powers. They do not intend to restore the rights of oppressed peoples, but to justify persecution or injustice under false slogans and pretexts.
As such, it is logical to say that Israel will not stop committing its crimes, but will intensify them, as long as there is no Arab power ready to stop it or a serious will to contain and limit its criminal role in our region. The colonial state not only threatens peace and security in the Middle East, but also around the whole world. Its weapons testing, on live targets in the besieged Gaza Strip, is a clear demonstration of the fact that Israel will stop at nothing to achieve its aims and objectives.
~ Middle East Monitor/Days of Palestine
Opinion/Analysis 09/25/18 World Bank: Gaza’s Economy Now In ‘Free Fall’
26 sept 2018
Delegates at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool have voted to support a freeze on arms sales to Israel, after debating a motion on Palestine, for the first time in living memory.
During the motion the conference floor became a sea of flags as delegates showed their support for Palestinians.
The unprecedented motion noted that that “the majority of Palestinian people were forcibly displaced from their homes” during the Nakba and condemned the “aggressive attempt to rewrite history and erase the victims of the 1948 war”.
It called for an “independent international investigation into Israel’s use of force against Palestinian demonstrators”, an “immediate and unconditional end to the illegal blockade and closure of Gaza” and “a freeze of UK Government arms sales to Israel”.
Israel has killed over 170 Palestinians in Gaza since weekly ‘Great March of Return’ demonstrations began on 30 March.
The motion noted that, amongst those killed during the Palestinian protests of recent months, are paramedics, journalists, women and children, while than half of the injured were hit with live fire by snipers as they approached the border with Israel.
According to the PNN, Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) Chair Hugh Lanning said: “We have witnessed extraordinary scenes of solidarity today and the Labour Party has done the right thing by recognising the longstanding injustice of Israel’s violation of Palestinian rights.
This is an important step forward in building solidarity with Palestinians within Labour and we hope the leadership will listen to the will of the party on this issue.”
PSC handed out more than a thousand Palestinian flags at conference on Tuesday morning. In remarkable scenes, many hundreds of delegates stood and waved their flags inside the conference hall when the motion was debated and chants of “Free Palestine!” were clearly heard.
PSC director Ben Jamal said: “This incredible show of support and this historic motion demonstrate the strength of feeling at the grassroots of the party. Labour members want to show real solidarity with Palestinians.
“Given Israel’s continuing use of live fire to kill unarmed Palestinian demonstrators, it is no surprise that there’s clear support for an immediate freeze of arms sales to Israel.”
The motion – moved by Harlow Constituency Labour Party (CLP) and seconded by Wolverhampton South West CLP – is the first to be heard at conference on Palestine in many years.
Palestine was put forward as the fourth most important issue by CLPs in the priorities ballot, after housing, the schools’ system and “justice for the Windrush generation” and above Brexit, the NHS, climate change and social care.
On Twitter, delegates posted pictures of conference hall calling the sea of Palestinian flags “emotional”, “historic” and “moving”.
08/14/18 Jeremy Corbyn Faces Attacks by UK’s Pro-Israel Lobby
During the motion the conference floor became a sea of flags as delegates showed their support for Palestinians.
The unprecedented motion noted that that “the majority of Palestinian people were forcibly displaced from their homes” during the Nakba and condemned the “aggressive attempt to rewrite history and erase the victims of the 1948 war”.
It called for an “independent international investigation into Israel’s use of force against Palestinian demonstrators”, an “immediate and unconditional end to the illegal blockade and closure of Gaza” and “a freeze of UK Government arms sales to Israel”.
Israel has killed over 170 Palestinians in Gaza since weekly ‘Great March of Return’ demonstrations began on 30 March.
The motion noted that, amongst those killed during the Palestinian protests of recent months, are paramedics, journalists, women and children, while than half of the injured were hit with live fire by snipers as they approached the border with Israel.
According to the PNN, Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) Chair Hugh Lanning said: “We have witnessed extraordinary scenes of solidarity today and the Labour Party has done the right thing by recognising the longstanding injustice of Israel’s violation of Palestinian rights.
This is an important step forward in building solidarity with Palestinians within Labour and we hope the leadership will listen to the will of the party on this issue.”
PSC handed out more than a thousand Palestinian flags at conference on Tuesday morning. In remarkable scenes, many hundreds of delegates stood and waved their flags inside the conference hall when the motion was debated and chants of “Free Palestine!” were clearly heard.
PSC director Ben Jamal said: “This incredible show of support and this historic motion demonstrate the strength of feeling at the grassroots of the party. Labour members want to show real solidarity with Palestinians.
“Given Israel’s continuing use of live fire to kill unarmed Palestinian demonstrators, it is no surprise that there’s clear support for an immediate freeze of arms sales to Israel.”
The motion – moved by Harlow Constituency Labour Party (CLP) and seconded by Wolverhampton South West CLP – is the first to be heard at conference on Palestine in many years.
Palestine was put forward as the fourth most important issue by CLPs in the priorities ballot, after housing, the schools’ system and “justice for the Windrush generation” and above Brexit, the NHS, climate change and social care.
On Twitter, delegates posted pictures of conference hall calling the sea of Palestinian flags “emotional”, “historic” and “moving”.
08/14/18 Jeremy Corbyn Faces Attacks by UK’s Pro-Israel Lobby
5 sept 2018
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has announced that his country will only purchase weapons from Israel due to its lack of restrictive measures pertaining to such deals, according to i24NEWS.
During a meeting with the Israeli president Reuven rivlin, Duterte said he has tasked the military with purchasing arms from Israel for it is the world’s only party that does not stipulate tough conditions on arms deals.
Duterte also touted the United States as "a good company" in this vein, but added that "if we buy from them, there are limitations, same with China and Germany."
In July, an Israeli weapons manufacturer reportedly sold hundreds of assault rifles to anti-drug police in the Philippines. The deal was preceded by Duterte's remarks that he would be "happy to slaughter" three million drug addicts amid the ongoing crackdown on narcotics trafficking in the Philippines, which have already claimed the lives of more than 4,000 people.
The Philippines President repeatedly touted Israel as an alternative supplier of weapons in the wake of Washington's decision to stop supplying arms to Manila due to its alleged human rights violations. video
Israel, one of the world's top arms dealers started to develop war ties with the Philippines in 2017, when the two counties inked a 21-million-dollar deal whereby Manila purchased Israeli radar and anti-tank equipment.
During a meeting with the Israeli president Reuven rivlin, Duterte said he has tasked the military with purchasing arms from Israel for it is the world’s only party that does not stipulate tough conditions on arms deals.
Duterte also touted the United States as "a good company" in this vein, but added that "if we buy from them, there are limitations, same with China and Germany."
In July, an Israeli weapons manufacturer reportedly sold hundreds of assault rifles to anti-drug police in the Philippines. The deal was preceded by Duterte's remarks that he would be "happy to slaughter" three million drug addicts amid the ongoing crackdown on narcotics trafficking in the Philippines, which have already claimed the lives of more than 4,000 people.
The Philippines President repeatedly touted Israel as an alternative supplier of weapons in the wake of Washington's decision to stop supplying arms to Manila due to its alleged human rights violations. video
Israel, one of the world's top arms dealers started to develop war ties with the Philippines in 2017, when the two counties inked a 21-million-dollar deal whereby Manila purchased Israeli radar and anti-tank equipment.
31 aug 2018
Reports of the events in Myanmar have not kept the Israeli government from cooperating with those suspected of war crimes against the country’s Rohingya Muslim minority, Haaretz has reported, disclosing secret arms deals between Israel and the Myanmar government.
According to Haaretz, in September 2015, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of Myanmar’s army who was explicitly mentioned in a UN report as being responsible for carrying out the genocide and as a partner in formulating the ideological foundation for it, visited Israel. He met with senior defense officials and with President Reuven Rivlin and visited Israeli military bases and manufacturers. Afterward, he announced the purchase of Israeli weapons in a deal estimated at tens of millions of dollars.
In summer 2016, the head of the Israeli war ministry’s International Defense Cooperation Directorate paid a reciprocal visit to Myanmar. All of this was reported on the Facebook page of Min Aung Hlaing, who was banned from the site Monday after being accused of using it to promote hate and misinformation.
Israel does not allow the publication of reports on the arming of Myanmar. In a hearing on petitions to the High Court of Justice filed in the last year and a half by human rights activists and attorney Eitay Mack against Israel’s weapons sales to Myanmar, the war ministry argued that the court had no authority to rule on war exports. Israeli spokesmen justified the supplying of weapons with the claim that “both sides committed war crimes,” claims that were rejected in a recent UN report. The court’s ruling on the petition is classified, but according to testimony from Myanmar the weapons sales are continuing, even in the midst of the crimes.
Israel has a long history of arming dark regimes, from Latin America through the Balkans and Africa, to Asia. The findings of the UN panel’s report require an examination of this method, whose economic benefits cannot serve as a counterweight to the atrocities.
Haaretz said that Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit must order an investigation to determine whether the individuals who approved the arms sales to Myanmar were complicit in genocide in accordance with Israel’s 1950 Law for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. In addition, he must see to it that the findings are made public.
A United Nations report issued this week found that the Myanmar military committed genocide and crimes against humanity, including rape, torture, enslavement, violence against children and the destruction of entire villages, against the country’s Rohingya Muslim minority. The crimes were conducted as part of a series of military operations that began in November 2016 and reached their peak in August 2017, when 725,000 Rohingya fled to neighboring Bangladesh out of fear.
The report, written by an independent fact-finding mission and based on the testimony of hundreds of survivors, calls for prosecuting Myanmar’s army commander and other top generals at the International Criminal Court or an international tribunal. The panel cited “the level of organization indicating a plan for destruction; and the extreme scale and brutality of the violence” in arguing for prosecution.
According to Haaretz, in September 2015, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of Myanmar’s army who was explicitly mentioned in a UN report as being responsible for carrying out the genocide and as a partner in formulating the ideological foundation for it, visited Israel. He met with senior defense officials and with President Reuven Rivlin and visited Israeli military bases and manufacturers. Afterward, he announced the purchase of Israeli weapons in a deal estimated at tens of millions of dollars.
In summer 2016, the head of the Israeli war ministry’s International Defense Cooperation Directorate paid a reciprocal visit to Myanmar. All of this was reported on the Facebook page of Min Aung Hlaing, who was banned from the site Monday after being accused of using it to promote hate and misinformation.
Israel does not allow the publication of reports on the arming of Myanmar. In a hearing on petitions to the High Court of Justice filed in the last year and a half by human rights activists and attorney Eitay Mack against Israel’s weapons sales to Myanmar, the war ministry argued that the court had no authority to rule on war exports. Israeli spokesmen justified the supplying of weapons with the claim that “both sides committed war crimes,” claims that were rejected in a recent UN report. The court’s ruling on the petition is classified, but according to testimony from Myanmar the weapons sales are continuing, even in the midst of the crimes.
Israel has a long history of arming dark regimes, from Latin America through the Balkans and Africa, to Asia. The findings of the UN panel’s report require an examination of this method, whose economic benefits cannot serve as a counterweight to the atrocities.
Haaretz said that Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit must order an investigation to determine whether the individuals who approved the arms sales to Myanmar were complicit in genocide in accordance with Israel’s 1950 Law for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. In addition, he must see to it that the findings are made public.
A United Nations report issued this week found that the Myanmar military committed genocide and crimes against humanity, including rape, torture, enslavement, violence against children and the destruction of entire villages, against the country’s Rohingya Muslim minority. The crimes were conducted as part of a series of military operations that began in November 2016 and reached their peak in August 2017, when 725,000 Rohingya fled to neighboring Bangladesh out of fear.
The report, written by an independent fact-finding mission and based on the testimony of hundreds of survivors, calls for prosecuting Myanmar’s army commander and other top generals at the International Criminal Court or an international tribunal. The panel cited “the level of organization indicating a plan for destruction; and the extreme scale and brutality of the violence” in arguing for prosecution.
27 aug 2018
Deal worth hundreds of millions of shekels meant to equip the IDF's ground forces with rockets and missiles allowing for accurate strikes on remote targets; these additional missile and rocket systems will provide backup to the IAF's precise offensive capabilities.
The Defense Ministry announced Monday it has signed a deal worth hundreds of millions shekels with IMI Systems for the development and acquisition of advanced precision rockets.
The Defense Ministry will acquire precision rockets of several different types—some classified—which will have a range of 30-150 km. The rockets will employ advanced technologies to adapt them to the modern battlefield.
Among the rockets system the Defense Ministry is buying from IMI is an improved version of the ACCULAR artillery rocket system, which has already been in use in the Artillery Corps in recent years.
The ACCULAR artillery rocket system, which was developed by IMI Systems, was recently declared operational in the Artillery Corps. The system can launch 18 precision rockets into enemy territory in one minute. It is an effective system, easy to operate, accessible and cheap, and has been put at the disposal of brigade and battalion commanders. It can be used to target individuals, structures and infrastructure, and can hit several targets at the same time.
"This precision fire capability significantly improves the IDF's capabilities and allows for accurate hits in remote launches, at immediate availability, and at a lower cost compared to other combat systems," the defense ministry said.
The acquisition of the advanced rockets is part of Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman's decision to equip the IDF with precision rockets and missiles for a variety of ranges.
"The plan to establish the accurate rockets and missile apparatus has already been put into motion. Parts of it are in manufacturing stages, while other parts are in the final stages of research and development," Lieberman said. "We are purchasing and developing high-precision systems that would enable us to focus and intensify the IDF's offensive capabilities, and within a few years cover every spot in the region, both short- and long-distance."
According to Ynet's military correspondent Ron Ben-Yishai, the defense minister is not planning a separate missile corps, but rather seeking to arm the IDF with additional rockets and missiles to serve as backup for the Air Force's accurate offensive capabilities in case Israel comes under attack on many fronts at the same time—spreading the IAF too thin—or if its enemies succeed in paralyzing IAF air bases—either partially or fully.
IMI Systems chairman Yitzhak Aharonovich noted that "the innovative rocket systems the IDF will acquire in this deal demonstrate the technological capabilities of the company, which specializes in precision fire capabilities for a pinpoint hit of a variety of ground targets."
The Defense Ministry announced Monday it has signed a deal worth hundreds of millions shekels with IMI Systems for the development and acquisition of advanced precision rockets.
The Defense Ministry will acquire precision rockets of several different types—some classified—which will have a range of 30-150 km. The rockets will employ advanced technologies to adapt them to the modern battlefield.
Among the rockets system the Defense Ministry is buying from IMI is an improved version of the ACCULAR artillery rocket system, which has already been in use in the Artillery Corps in recent years.
The ACCULAR artillery rocket system, which was developed by IMI Systems, was recently declared operational in the Artillery Corps. The system can launch 18 precision rockets into enemy territory in one minute. It is an effective system, easy to operate, accessible and cheap, and has been put at the disposal of brigade and battalion commanders. It can be used to target individuals, structures and infrastructure, and can hit several targets at the same time.
"This precision fire capability significantly improves the IDF's capabilities and allows for accurate hits in remote launches, at immediate availability, and at a lower cost compared to other combat systems," the defense ministry said.
The acquisition of the advanced rockets is part of Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman's decision to equip the IDF with precision rockets and missiles for a variety of ranges.
"The plan to establish the accurate rockets and missile apparatus has already been put into motion. Parts of it are in manufacturing stages, while other parts are in the final stages of research and development," Lieberman said. "We are purchasing and developing high-precision systems that would enable us to focus and intensify the IDF's offensive capabilities, and within a few years cover every spot in the region, both short- and long-distance."
According to Ynet's military correspondent Ron Ben-Yishai, the defense minister is not planning a separate missile corps, but rather seeking to arm the IDF with additional rockets and missiles to serve as backup for the Air Force's accurate offensive capabilities in case Israel comes under attack on many fronts at the same time—spreading the IAF too thin—or if its enemies succeed in paralyzing IAF air bases—either partially or fully.
IMI Systems chairman Yitzhak Aharonovich noted that "the innovative rocket systems the IDF will acquire in this deal demonstrate the technological capabilities of the company, which specializes in precision fire capabilities for a pinpoint hit of a variety of ground targets."
