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Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Israel's Future War Outlook

Nadene Goldfoot
Israel does not think war will erupt this year, but unless the Moshiach comes before 2017, thinks it could happen by then.  With the ability of the Palestinians to procure arms, they are looking at a prospect of 15,000 rockets and missiles in a war with Iran-backed Hezbollah and Syria, and those are not all home-made short ranged rockets that Ron Paul scoffs at. 

Meanwhile, Israel is suffering under the same economics as the USA and has also had to cut its defense budget for 2012.  They had had social protests regarding the need for housing, so their defense plans for 2012-2017 needed alterations and cuts.

If this horrible possibility comes about, it will cause much devastation and many casualites.  They figure that 5,500 rockets will have a long range over 70 km or at the minimum, 43.50 miles.  Israel is only 290 miles long (470 km) and at the widest width is only 85 miles (135 km).  It has had a waistline of only about 6 miles in width, and the joke was that if you poked your head out of the train window it would be in Judea. 

The weaponry of the Arabs is increasing in every way.  Syria, Hezbollah and Iran will have close to 1,000 rockets with accuracy in their aim.  However, they have never been interested in who they kill; they just hope to do so to a civilian district.  Already Hezbollah has an arsenal of about 4,000 Russian-made anti-tank missiles with 11,500 in Syria and hundreds in Gaza.  People like Ron Paul and his group just think they lob over some hand-made weak rocket and that Israel has no reason to have the USA as a friend.

With the cut in defense spending, this may mean that Israel cannot get more Iron Dome batteries for protection from short-range missiles on the borders or David's sling to combat medium-range rockets and Arrow 2 and 3 for long-range ballistic missiles. 

Israel's defense budget makes up 14% of the state's annual budget.  In 1992 it was 24%. 

In 2010 the USA was the #1 spender of defense of $687,105,000,000 which was 4.7% of their GDP.  .  Iran's website announced that they are cutting out $450 billion this year.  Israel was listed as the 18th high spender with $13,001,000,000 which was 6.3% of their GDP, and that was much higher than other countries. 

Of course Israel lives under the threat of an atomic rocket shot from Iran as they have stepped up their nuclear goals way over the top needed for medical needs.  Everyone is aware of this, but they continue the farce of saying that they're not going to make such things. 

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has had close relations with the USA since 1967 and have had cooperation in development of defense.  They have united on the F-151 jet, THEL laser defense system and the Arrow missile defense system. 

Ehud Barak, former 10th Prime Minister and now Minister of Defense in Israel, who is facing his 70th birthday in February,  just says good things about the relationship with Obama.  Ehud, a true politician, always sees the glass being half-full.  He was formerly a member of the Labor Party and has recently created a new one called Independence.  Netanyahu, the Prime Minister today, who will be 63, is a Likud Party member.  In Israel the politicians find they have to work with opposing members of other parties and do so far more than they do in the USA of late.  Sadly, the only people they simply cannot sit down and talk with have been the Palestinians who refuse to do so. 

Israel has 14 political parties that fill the 120 seats in the Knesset.  This includes some Arab parties as well.  For a little tiny state smaller than a Texas ranch and only about 7 million people, that's a lot to wade through.  We can hardly stand a 2 party system, but then we don't form coalitions.  Israelis have to work together when it comes to life and death situations regarding defense. 

Reference: http://www.jpost.com/LandedPages/PrintArticle.aspx?id=252034#
http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Facts+About+Israel/Israel+in+Brief/ISRAEL+IN+BRIEF.htm?DisplayMode=print
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Defense_Forces
http://www.jewishjournal.com/nation/article/israels_barak_boosts_obama_amid_us_threats_on_iran_2011122
http://www.chacha.com/question/what-is-the-name-of-ehud-barak%27s-new-party
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Netanyahu
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_parties_in_Israel

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