Replies to post #193681 on Tornado Alley (PROG)

[F6]

'Iron Dome,' Israeli Defense System, Intercepts Incoming Rockets From Gaza (VIDEO [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kAyqbKwd1o , next below as embedded])

11/16/2012
[...]
First deployed in southern Israel in 2011, Iron Dome is an automated anti-missile defense system [ http://www.army-technology.com/projects/irondomeairdefencemi/ ] that tracks and destroys incoming rockets.
Gaza militants have fired more than 500 rockets in the latest flare-up of violence , and 184 of those had been intercepted by Iron Dome [ http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2012/Nov-16/195241-israels-iron-dome-plays-growing-role-in-gaza-conflict.ashx ] as of Nov. 16, the Lebanon Daily Star reports.
While those numbers suggest a low intercept rate, the system is designed to focus only on rockets that it determines will land in defined protected areas [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMBSWGYlnF0 (next below)].

Trajectories terminating in unpopulated areas are ignored.
Where strikes on populated areas are concerned, Iron Dome has a reputation for intercept rates as high as 90 percent [ http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=261257 ], according to the Jerusalem Post.
[...]
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/16/iron-dome-israeli-defense-intercepts-rockets-video_n_2144746.html [with comments]

[Lebaneseproud]

Its indeed very stupid of both non-Hamas Palestinians as well as other nations throughout the world not to condemn the Hamas rocket launches that were occurring before the latest escalation.

I think Palestinians like Saeb Erakat have the right idea by continuing to push in the United Nations to declare statehood. I think the achievement of this would be more likely to force Israel to the table for a more permanent solution. The rocket launches will always do the complete opposite and only hurt innocent Palestinians and Israeli's. Rocket launches will only bring retaliations and further loss of life and create deeper divisions