News

Israel Drawn Into Debate on Missile Defense

By Nathan Guttman June 13, 2007

Washington — Israel is being drawn by the United States into Washington’s dispute with Russia over the deployment of missile-defense systems in Europe.

In attempts to make the case for placing missile interceptors and radar systems in Poland and the Czech Republic, American officials have argued that the initiative would improve Israel’s security and help protect the Jewish state from a possible Iranian missile attack. Yet, Israeli defense officials are steering clear of the debate and are stating that Israel has no stand on the issue of using European countries as a front base for American anti-missile systems.

Congressional sources argued that Israel is being dragged into the debate in order to sway Jewish lawmakers to support Bush’s plan.

The possible connection between Israel’s security and the need to build American missile interceptor bases in Eastern Europe was raised early last month at a joint hearing of two subcommittees of the House Foreign Relations Affairs Committee. The subcommittees — on terrorism and nonproliferation, and on Europe — are chaired, respectively, by Jewish Democratic Rep. Robert Wexler of Florida and Rep. Brad Sherman of California.

At the hearing, Dan Fried, assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs, and John Rood, who is in charge of nonproliferation issues at the State Department, stressed the benefits that the European-based missile system would have for Israel.

“The situation we want to avoid,” Fried said at the hearing, “is one where Europe would be in a position of absolute vulnerability through an Iranian nuclear arsenal, even a small one, thereby decoupling trans-Atlantic security and also giving Iran an ability to use its other forces — its support for terrorism in the Middle East, and, perhaps at some point, conventional forces, to threaten Israel.” He went on to insist that Iran is now threatening Europe with nuclear weapons in order to isolate Israel, and that an anti-missile system in Europe could counter such threats.

Wexler and Sherman remained opposed to the administration’s plea to support the European missile plan. “This proposal,” Wexler said, “would seem to add zero in terms of defense capability for Israel versus Iran.”

Israeli officials, though cautious in their response, agree.

An Israeli defense source said that Israel does not consider the possible deployment of interceptors in Europe to be a significant part of its missile-defense strategy, which is based on both deterrence and a two-tiered missile-defense system that consists of the PAC-3 and Arrow systems.

When asked last week about the issue, Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh responded, “I am not sure I understand the linkage between Israel and placing anti-missile systems in Poland and the Czech Republic.”

This is not the first time Israel’s security has been inserted into the political debate over missile defense. Last month, during a congressional standoff over funding missile-defense operations, Republicans — trying to prevent Democrats from cutting the project’s budget — introduced a last-minute amendment adding $205 million for joint Israeli-American anti-missile programs. House Democrats accused the Republicans of playing politics with Israel’s security, but voted for the amendment. Most of the sum is dedicated to buying the American-made THAAD anti-missile system radar and would go back to American manufacturers.

Nathan Guttman, staff writer, was the Forward’s Washington bureau chief. He joined the staff in 2006 after serving for five years as Washington correspondent for the Israeli dailies Haaretz and The Jerusalem Post. In Israel, he was the features editor for Ha’aretz and chief editor of Channel 1 TV evening news. He was born in Canada and grew up in Israel. He is a graduate of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO