US Christians should push for a US-Israel strategic and moral victory over terror - opinion

• Published date: 24 April 2024
• Author: JOSIAH MCGEE
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

At the same time, those we might call centrists still believe in Israel's importance, both morally and strategically. American Christians have been urging our leaders to pass the recent military assistance bill for Israel. The Islamic Republic of Iran's brazen attack against Israel on April 13-14 demonstrates exactly why rearming Israel's air defenses is vital

To begin with, the latest escalations do not represent the first time that Iran has threatened not only Israeli, but also American interests. The Islamic Republic is a designated state sponsor of terrorism, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is listed as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, both of which actively undermine regional stability. They also have a proven track record of attacking and killing US service members via various proxies.

Israel, along with other American allies, represents a bulwark against the malignant intentions of the Iranian regime and protects not only itself, but also American interests.

How US investment helped Israel defend itself from Iran

Against Iran's first direct, large-scale assault, Israel could not guarantee victory on its own, and it likely would not have occurred without US support. Israel employs a world-class network of air defense systems, but the invention and mobilization of each have been funded with American assistance.

Congress has repeatedly invested in the research and development, creation, and arming of Israel's air defense platforms. These include the Iron Dome, famous for its ability to shoot down rockets from Gaza or Lebanon while in the sky and before they can hurt someone.

Israel has also created more recent models including David's Sling, designed for medium-range missile interceptions, and the Arrow 2 and 3 platforms for missiles fired from around Iran's range. The latter can theoretically intercept a missile well out of harm's way above the earth's atmosphere. On that Saturday evening and Sunday morning, Israel required all three to counter Iran's attack.

Well aware of Israel's cutting-edge technology, Iran knew it must attempt to overwhelm the air defense systems and test their speed and capacity. To do so, Iran fired a combination of over 170 explosive drones, more than 30 cruise missiles, and over 120 ballistic or hypersonic missiles. They fired each at different times hoping they would arrive in Israel roughly concurrently.

Tragically, a 10-year-old Bedouin child died as a result, but Israel otherwise successfully repelled the...