Israel and the United States inaugurated a American military facility on Israeli soil on Monday, which will serve dozens of soldiers operating a missile defense system, located inside the Israeli Air Force’s Mashabim Air Base.
Brig. Gen. Tzvika Haimovitch, the commander of Israel’s aerial defense, said the installment was “nothing short of historic,” when he announced the opening of the facility on Monday evening. He said the presence of a U.S. facility on Israeli soil sends a “message to the region and our surroundings that our partnership with our friend the United States is important,” The Times of Israel reported.
A U.S. facility in Israel “allows us to improve our defense, in discovery and in interception and in preparedness,” Haimovitch explained. He also told reporters that the new facility, together with other recent upgrades to Israel’s air defense system “will improve our abilities significantly,” adding that “It won’t get us to 100 percent, but it will get us much closer to achieving important things during war.”
He further noted that the significance of a modern air defense system for Israel’s security was highlighted by the 2014 Gaza war, when thousands of rockets were fired indiscriminately at Israeli cities.
The move comes at a time of growing Israeli concerns about Iran’s aggressive behavior in the region. In partnership with the U.S., Israel has installed a multilayered system to fight off both long-range attacks from Iran as well as crude rockets fired from Hezbollah-controlled Lebanon and the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
Israel is also alarmed by Iran’s involvement in the civil war in Syria, where its troops are supporting President Bashar al-Assad and its proxy Hezbollah aims at establishing a long-term presence near the Israeli border.
In his speech, Maj. Gen. John Gronski, deputy commander of US Army National Guard in Europe, said the facility “symbolizes the strong bond that exists between the United States and Israel.” He further noted that “The United States and Israel have long planned together, exercised together and trained together,” adding that “with the opening of this site, these crucial interactions will happen every day.”
In June, a former Supreme Commander of NATO advocated for even closer military cooperation between the U.S. and Israel. Former Admiral James Stavridis said that in order for the U.S. to confront the challenges it faces in the Middle East, it should “more fully develop its partnership with the Israel Defense Forces in several crucial areas.”
Earlier this year, Israel opened an official mission at NATO’s Brussels headquarters, reflecting the country’s strong ties with American and European military partner as well as growing regional and global concern about violence caused by Iran and ISIS.
[Photo: Israel Defense Forces ]