press is praising it. Is that attempt at funerals by politeness? Let's remember another abysmal fact from recent history of Israel. In 4 years in Prime Minsiter office and 4 years in Defence Minister office Mr. Benjamen Netaneyahoo and Mr. Iegoody Barak built exactly 0 ( ZERO ) Iron Dome batteries. So, what happened??? If six years ago Amir Peretz was for Iron Dome, when nobody knew what it can, Netaneyahoo blocks it in 2008 because he knows that he can't sell Israel when it has such a good defence system?

Thanks should go to the Rafael engineers for their technical excellence, not to ex-defence minister Peretz whose vision is of a ghetto state without territorial depth, where its inhabitants live under a devilish ping-pong of rockets and anti-rockets. He supported the expulsion of Jews from Gaza, and today we can see the result!

The one who saw what we need most. Old general are not without falls or unmistakeable.

I HAVE ONLY ONE THING TO SAID ABOUT OUR HERO MR AMIR PEREZ THAT ....KOL HAKAVOD....GOD BLESSE HIM....AND ALSO I AM VERY PROUD TO HAVE MEET HIM IN PERSON.....GOD BLESSE YOU AMIR...WE LOVE YOU....HAZAK..

That idiot Mohamed from Canada did not mean to say you were laying (as in laying down), he meant as lying as telling a lie...he just can't spell as most of his brethren. I also was not happy with Peretz as a defense minister mostly because how the 1st Lebanon was handled. Boy I hope this time with Gaza they go all the freaking way and not do a half-ass job. Hamas, Hezbollah and their clique need to be taught a lesson until they understand the meaning of "never again". Thank you Mr. Amir Peretz for having the vision few had in those days. Let see if PM Netanyahu will show some balls and give him the recognition he deserves, mostly after he was ridiculed by his countrymen...let's see.

...he didn"t know how to use. I don't believe this article.

So, you say Peretz made the right decision this time around. Big deal, the dice rolled to a lucky hit on the crap table this time. How many stupid decisions did Peretz make going back to his tenure as the head of the Histadruth, where supposedly he did have the experience? Look at the lousy economic state of Israeli labor and convince yourself by watching how the standard of living is constantly dropping, how the social movement is growing in its tents. Geniuses are not guiding Israel. Rather, it is the crap shooters who lead.

I got it, I was just messing with the guy. BTW I used to live in Scarborough before moving to L.A. TO is great city.

Thanks to Avi Shushan, who was brave enough to write this article.. Not many would have been so brave as they, yet Pertez has now been proven to have known this day would come. YES he is a HERO of the highest standing. Those how drove Pertez out of office should come forth, apologize to him in public. He should be honored for this idea put into use, saving many lives daily . Suny329

OK, if Peretz was instrumental in developing Iron Dome, he is deserving of gratitude. but, no exaggeration is needed. he was not some unique visionary. "Star Wars" or the Strategic Defense Initiative was a project of the Reagan Administration in the US. and,despite what the writer describes as Peretz' indidpensible contribution to Iron Dome, Peretz' role in the lebanon debacle cannot be forgotten. credit, even great credit, where credit is due. but not fiction or fantasy.

Andel Karim I agree Iron Dome has its limitations, but nothing is perfect. Right now for all its flaw it is the best in the system of this type in the world based on existing technologies. Mohammed Iron Dome is designed to intercept certain types of rocket and there are other systems in development like Davids Sling to deal with others. Different systems to deal with different threats. If its useless why is Hamas have fired around 1000 rockets and the majority that were heading toward populated areas ( ones headng to non populated areas are not shot down ) are destroyed, its not a perfect system but name any system thats perfect? Miron Back in 2008 Iron Dome was still looking like it was going to be a very expensve white elephant. It is only since it has become operational it has proven it works although its still expensive at interceptors being $50,000 a pop. I am afraid Bibi didn't have the ability to see into the future in 2008 but he did have to think about the budget which Iron Domes development cost was eating into.

Thanks to the disastrous handling of Lebanon Peretz and Olmert came up with the idea of a rocket defence system so they would have something to boast about. Peretz insisted it be an Israeli system and if there was an existing off the shelf American alternative it wasn't going to be an option because they needed the feel good factor of a home made system Rafael was given about $500 million and told to invent something and then Peretz & Olmert boasted about how an Israeli system was being developed so rocket fire would never be a problem again. Peretz was no visionary and does not deserve any praise he was a failed politician who decided the best way to cover up his faiures was to spend money. Didn't matter how well the system performed as long as they were seen to be doing something to solve the rocket problem, at a political level Iron Dome was always about image not protection.

I need to laugh! With his extraordinary talent He will resolve Palestinian Israel problems, though no Israel will be left in this resolution! Beside when he is in Ministry of Defence, it saves a lot in enemy front, neither Hizbulllah nor Hamas would need any talented military staff, Peretz is sufficient to satisfy all sides.

... has anyone tried to get a reaction from ashkenazi on this matter? i wonder if he'd have the grace to admit a mistake?

be the person who proposes, that all Israelis live in underground cities, so we can "escape" the Arab missiles altogether... I won't settle for less than a "Force-Field" :-)

We would have gone into Gaza long ago and cleaned them out. Now if we do not go in and this ends for now we will eventually have to go in and face an even larger amount of rockets. The best defense is offense.

I think that Mr. PEREZ AMIR HAS BEEN THANKED ENOUGH, we must not forget that he has been paid to fulfill his duties and in addition to that he is a pubblic men.

And the American People, For making it possible

Technology is not a be all end all...In the final analysis Israel will need to put boots on the ground to clean out the terrorists. The problem is with Israels manical need for PC posturing. Israel seems to want to market the Iron Dome more than she wants to protect her own. Had Hamas been doing this to the USA they would have been annihilated a long long time ago. By the way America is the leader when it comes to technology toys in the battle field, however when it comes to really smashing the enemy they use WWII inspired carpet bombing. Nothing like grinding the enemy into submission. Total annihilation works each and every time.

This newspaper was unrepentant and unrelenting in its criticism of this man whom you now say made such a difference. Even in this column, with the snide reference to his ethnic background and "peasant moustache", you demonstrate how much yours is a newspaper for white Europeans.

B"H It is an illusion that we can cover the country somehow with an iron dome and avoid having to win the war. Peace comes only through winning the war and no Labor, Kadima and Likud politicians can change this truth. Indeed the Iron Dome millions were not well spent: It projects the Israeli will to save its enemies, which is a perversion of Jewish ethics, just like the disengagement from Gaza was.

Iron Dome was worth developing same way the Merkava tank was worth developing even though tanks alone don't win wars. It needs to be treated as just anther tool in the army has so they can provide the public with some protection during a war. since its development because it has a high success rate it's been treated like our savior so no more need to fight wars which is wrong. What we need is a good defense whilst your on the offensive not just one alone. Peretz deserves no credit because ID was not being a visionary it was about trying to patch up his image after his failing in Lebanon. He also didn't think about developing something like ID in advance it was a reaction to the rocket barrges we expereinced duing the war.

I agree with the author that Amir Peretz deserves Israel's gratitude for promoting the Iron Dome project. It should be noted however, that this is a 1st generation defense system and has potential shortcomings on a conventional battlefield. For defending against HAMAS missiles fired from Gaza, the system is ideal. This was Israel's first requirement. As a resident of S'derot, it was only natural for Amir Peretz to fight for Iron Dome. Therein lies the real genius in choosing him as Israel's MOD at the time. By the time Peretz left office, it was apparent that Israel needed someone who could lead the Defense Ministry from a wider perspective. Nonetheless, the author is correct. This key defense system was "Peretz's baby" and he deserves credit for it's successful progress thus far. Regards, There is NO Santa Claus (aka TINSC)

To #3: great summary on iron dome background, especially "end-of-story"

Thank you... glad you were there!