3 aug 2020
Massive aircraft carrying U.S. military freight trucks touches ground and will transport defense system from Israel to defend American troops stationed in battlefields abroad video
The world’s largest cargo plane landed in Ben Gurion Airport, carrying U.S. military ‘Osh Kosh’ trucks that were fitted with Iron Dome missile defense system batteries purchased by the U.S. Army before leaving Israel, the Defense Ministry announced on Monday.
In August 2019, The ministry had signed a $373 million deal with the U.S. Defense Department to sell two off-the-shelf Iron Dome batteries to the American Army from Rafael which include 12 launchers, two sensors, two battlement management centers, and 240 interceptors.
Washington wanted to have the batteries delivered by 2020.
The system, developed by the ministry and prime contractor Rafael “will be used to defend U.S. military troops against a wide range of ballistic and aerial threats,” a Defense Ministry statement said.
The unloading of the Russian-made Antonov cargo plane was closed to the press.
This is the mammoth aircraft's second trip to Israel after it touched ground on the Holy Land in 2008.
The Antonov An-225 Mriya was created in the 1980s in Soviet Ukraine and is the heaviest aircraft ever built.
The AN-225 has over 30 wheels, six engines and a wingspan of 290ft. The aircraft has a range of 15,400 km when unloaded and 4,500 when fully loaded.
The aircraft had taken off from Maine and is expected to make refueling stops in Scotland and France.
The world’s largest cargo plane landed in Ben Gurion Airport, carrying U.S. military ‘Osh Kosh’ trucks that were fitted with Iron Dome missile defense system batteries purchased by the U.S. Army before leaving Israel, the Defense Ministry announced on Monday.
In August 2019, The ministry had signed a $373 million deal with the U.S. Defense Department to sell two off-the-shelf Iron Dome batteries to the American Army from Rafael which include 12 launchers, two sensors, two battlement management centers, and 240 interceptors.
Washington wanted to have the batteries delivered by 2020.
The system, developed by the ministry and prime contractor Rafael “will be used to defend U.S. military troops against a wide range of ballistic and aerial threats,” a Defense Ministry statement said.
The unloading of the Russian-made Antonov cargo plane was closed to the press.
This is the mammoth aircraft's second trip to Israel after it touched ground on the Holy Land in 2008.
The Antonov An-225 Mriya was created in the 1980s in Soviet Ukraine and is the heaviest aircraft ever built.
The AN-225 has over 30 wheels, six engines and a wingspan of 290ft. The aircraft has a range of 15,400 km when unloaded and 4,500 when fully loaded.
The aircraft had taken off from Maine and is expected to make refueling stops in Scotland and France.
26 july 2020
U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden
The aid package comes as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, despite opposition by some who say the package should be used to pressure Israel to nix annexation plans
The American Israel Political Action Committee (AIPAC) praised U.S. lawmakers after a bill including $3.8 billion in defense assistance for Israel cleared both chambers of Congress, Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported Friday.
The funding comes as part of the National Defense Authorization Act: In the House of Representatives the bill was approved 295 to 125, Tuesday - while the Senate cast its votes, 86 in support and 14 against the bill, Thursday.
AIPAC praised both the Democrats and Republicans in Congress who cast their vote in favor of the defense budget, saying it “will help Israel protect itself against continuing security threats."
Earlier this year, the aid for Israel emerged as one of the points of contention on the left wing of the US political scene.
A number of Democratic presidential candidates, including, most notably, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, said they were willing to use the funding to pressure Israel not annex parts of the West Bank.
However, Joe Biden, the presumptive challenger to U.S. President Donald Trump, said on multiple occasions that he would not make the aid conditional on any policies by Israel.
The aid package comes as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, despite opposition by some who say the package should be used to pressure Israel to nix annexation plans
The American Israel Political Action Committee (AIPAC) praised U.S. lawmakers after a bill including $3.8 billion in defense assistance for Israel cleared both chambers of Congress, Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported Friday.
The funding comes as part of the National Defense Authorization Act: In the House of Representatives the bill was approved 295 to 125, Tuesday - while the Senate cast its votes, 86 in support and 14 against the bill, Thursday.
AIPAC praised both the Democrats and Republicans in Congress who cast their vote in favor of the defense budget, saying it “will help Israel protect itself against continuing security threats."
Earlier this year, the aid for Israel emerged as one of the points of contention on the left wing of the US political scene.
A number of Democratic presidential candidates, including, most notably, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, said they were willing to use the funding to pressure Israel not annex parts of the West Bank.
However, Joe Biden, the presumptive challenger to U.S. President Donald Trump, said on multiple occasions that he would not make the aid conditional on any policies by Israel.
22 july 2020
PM's office says extra funding needed for 'routine IDF activities, Gaza border barrier, and other critical issues that cannot be delayed'; call could face resistance from Treasury officials expected to demand that increase come from existing army budget
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday called on the Finance Ministry to earmark NIS 3.3 billion for an increase in the defense budget, despite the economic crisis besetting Israel due to the coronavirus pandemic.
According to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office, the extra money is for "funding routine IDF activities, [construction of the] Gaza border barrier, and other critical issues that cannot be delayed."
Netanyahu's directive came following a meeting with Defense Minister Benny Gantz, Finance Minister Israel Katz, IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi, National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat and other senior government officials.
During the meeting, Netanyahu stressed the importance of allowing the defense establishment to maintain its stability given the many security challenges surrounding Israel.
In late 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic began, the IDF sought an additional NIS 2 billion to its annual budget, to compensate for a series of wide cuts made at the time across all government ministries.
The cuts did not spare the Defense Ministry, and as a result external funding was found to implement various government decisions, such as a pay raise and pensions worth billions of shekels for police officers and prison wardens.
According to the IDF, the extra funding does not constitute an increase in its budget, but rather is the amount stipulated in a 2016 agreement between the then-defense and finance ministers.
It also abides by the provisions laid out in the IDF's multi-year Gideon Plan, developed in 2015 by then-IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot and now in its final year, which calls for NIS 32 billion from the overall defense budget.
Netanyahu's directive is set to be met with stiff resistance from Finance Ministry officials, who are expected to demand that the increase come from the existing army budget, given that the national budget deficit had already increased by NIS 20 billion before the virus struck.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday called on the Finance Ministry to earmark NIS 3.3 billion for an increase in the defense budget, despite the economic crisis besetting Israel due to the coronavirus pandemic.
According to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office, the extra money is for "funding routine IDF activities, [construction of the] Gaza border barrier, and other critical issues that cannot be delayed."
Netanyahu's directive came following a meeting with Defense Minister Benny Gantz, Finance Minister Israel Katz, IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi, National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat and other senior government officials.
During the meeting, Netanyahu stressed the importance of allowing the defense establishment to maintain its stability given the many security challenges surrounding Israel.
In late 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic began, the IDF sought an additional NIS 2 billion to its annual budget, to compensate for a series of wide cuts made at the time across all government ministries.
The cuts did not spare the Defense Ministry, and as a result external funding was found to implement various government decisions, such as a pay raise and pensions worth billions of shekels for police officers and prison wardens.
According to the IDF, the extra funding does not constitute an increase in its budget, but rather is the amount stipulated in a 2016 agreement between the then-defense and finance ministers.
It also abides by the provisions laid out in the IDF's multi-year Gideon Plan, developed in 2015 by then-IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot and now in its final year, which calls for NIS 32 billion from the overall defense budget.
Netanyahu's directive is set to be met with stiff resistance from Finance Ministry officials, who are expected to demand that the increase come from the existing army budget, given that the national budget deficit had already increased by NIS 20 billion before the virus struck.
6 july 2020
Defense Ministry says 'Ofek 16' was already transmitting data and beginning to orbit around the Earth, having been launched just hours earlier; Gantz called the launch an 'extraordinary achievement'
Israel successfully launched a new spy satellite early on Monday, the Defense Ministry confirmed.
It said the "Ofek 16" reconnaissance satellite was launched at 4am from central Israel into space. It described the Ofek as an "electro-optical reconnaissance satellite with advanced capabilities."
Shortly after the launch, it said the Ofek already was transmitting data and beginning to orbit around the Earth. It said engineers from the ministry and state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries were conducting tests before it begins full operational activities.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz called the launch an "extraordinary achievement."
"Technological superiority and intelligence capabilities are essential to the security of the state of Israel," he said.
Gantz stressed that technological and intelligence advantage was crucial for Israel's security, adding that Israel is among only 13 countries that can launch their satellites independently, standing alongside the U.S., Russia, China, France, Italy, UK, India, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Ukraine and Iran.
The launch of Israel's first intelligence-gathering satellite, called Ofek1, was conducted on September 19, 1988. The launch was carried out in secret in order not to reveal to Israel's regional enemies the country's technological advancement.
The last time Israel launched a spy satellite was four years ago, when Ofek 11 took off from The Palmachim Airbase on September 13, 2016.
Israel successfully launched a new spy satellite early on Monday, the Defense Ministry confirmed.
It said the "Ofek 16" reconnaissance satellite was launched at 4am from central Israel into space. It described the Ofek as an "electro-optical reconnaissance satellite with advanced capabilities."
Shortly after the launch, it said the Ofek already was transmitting data and beginning to orbit around the Earth. It said engineers from the ministry and state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries were conducting tests before it begins full operational activities.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz called the launch an "extraordinary achievement."
"Technological superiority and intelligence capabilities are essential to the security of the state of Israel," he said.
Gantz stressed that technological and intelligence advantage was crucial for Israel's security, adding that Israel is among only 13 countries that can launch their satellites independently, standing alongside the U.S., Russia, China, France, Italy, UK, India, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Ukraine and Iran.
The launch of Israel's first intelligence-gathering satellite, called Ofek1, was conducted on September 19, 1988. The launch was carried out in secret in order not to reveal to Israel's regional enemies the country's technological advancement.
The last time Israel launched a spy satellite was four years ago, when Ofek 11 took off from The Palmachim Airbase on September 13, 2016.
