Sky Guardians: The Iron Dome's month of miracle defenses - opinion

In the past month, the Iron Dome has saved hundreds of thousands of lives in Israel by thwarting 9,000 rockets fired indiscriminately at Israel. This technology is in daily use, multiple times a day. While the tech has been operational since 2011, it has never been as critical as it is today.

The Iron Dome was proposed as a defense mechanism after the Hezbollah missile attacks on Israeli population centers in the 1990s. The mission would be to intercept incoming missiles and shield the civilian populations from indiscriminate attacks. In 2006, over 4,000 rockets were once again fired at Israel from Hezbollah. 

Between 2000-2022, over 14,000 projectiles were fired at Israel from Gaza. 

Just between October 7 and November 6, 2023, over 9,000 projectiles were launched at Israel. Different types of missiles have been launched from Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen in the past years as well. Each projectile has the devastating potential to kill and injure tens, if not hundreds, and destroy homes and critical civilian infrastructure. All rockets are being aimed at dense civilian centers, indiscriminately, with the goal of creating the greatest degree of devastation.

This silent saver is making a loud noise now as it operates 24 hours a day in Israel. It protects the lives of nearly 10 million civilians every day and does not discriminate based on ethnic background, race, religion, gender, or any other factor. The technology is not just deployed in Israel – it is also in use in other countries around the world.

Internationally recognized technology

The Iron Dome has been saving civilian lives targeted illegitimately by militants in violation of international law. This miracle technology has saved countless times in the past month alone.

THIS IS the first time in my life I have looked up at the sky and said thank you. Every day, I look up at the sky and see the rocket trails met by clouds of smoke and followed by roaring booms. It is my time to say thank you. Thank you to the team of scientists, engineers, international collaborators, and anyone who was involved in the project, for letting me and my loved ones live one more day.

The development of the Iron Dome was an uphill battle. Though the need to defend against long- and short-range enemy projectiles aimed at civilians was clear, the bureaucracy of the system presented obstacles again and again. Eventually, the development was stuck, behind, and over budget. The head of the Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D), Brig.- Gen. Daniel Gold, pushed the technology aggressively to ensure its development. Gold was criticized by the State Comptroller and fired for his aggressive approach.

Regardless, the Iron Dome’s development was complete and implemented by March 2011. Just one month later, it was already in use for incoming missiles from Gaza. After the major successes achieved by the Iron Dome in protecting civilians in operations Pillar of Defense and Protective Edge, Gold was reinstated as head of the DDR&D with honors. 

The Iron Dome received the Israel Defense Prize in 2012 and in recognition of his work, Gold was invited to light a torch in the 2015 annual Independence Day ceremony. 

His unconventional approach, along with his battle for the vision of defending Israel’s civilian population should be recognized internationally as an inspiration to all humanitarians looking to protect civilians from harm. Gen. Gold’s determination in 2009 is what protects Israel enough to fight another day.

Nominating Brig.-Gen. Daniel Gold for the Nobel Peace Prize can be done by university professors, former laureates, and heads of state. It is a simple online form to confirm the submission and the deadline is January 31. It is our civil duty to honor the people who gave us such an incredible degree of security. 

Share this with anyone who can qualify as a nominator!

The writer is an Israeli advocate and an expert on the impact of social capital on international relations.