Ukraine War01 August, 20262 min read
Benjamin Netanyahu Blocked Iron Dome Transfer to Ukraine, Washington Post Says
“Israel and Kiev compete for limited US military resources now.”
“concerns regarding technology transfer are motivated by the risks of it falling into the hands of Iran.”
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Netanyahu vetoed transfer of Iron Dome to Ukraine in 2023 despite US backing. Lindsey Graham backed the transfer; Netanyahu cited Israel's final say under joint-production terms.
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Iron Dome veto in 2023
In 2023, The Washington Post reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blocked the transfer of Iron Dome air defense systems to Ukraine even though the missile batteries were funded by the U.S. government. The Washington Post said the veto was tied to the terms of a joint-production agreement that gives Israel final say over how the system’s use is determined.
The dispute is now resurfacing as U.S. lawmakers seek to expand cooperation with Israel beyond missile defense, with the proposal included in a $1.15 trillion defense policy bill passed in the House last week. The Washington Post also linked the debate to visits to Washington by Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, describing their simultaneous requests for American support as a “zero-sum competition for resources.”
Rubio, Van Hollen clash
Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen criticized the arrangement, telling The Washington Post, “It compromises our sovereignty and hurts our national security by limiting our options.” Van Hollen added that “The missile systems we wanted to transfer [to Ukraine] were stationed in the southwest United States and paid for by U.S. taxpayers, but Israel vetoed it.”
The Israeli embassy in Washington defended the veto to The Washington Post, saying “the concern was that the technology could find its way to the Iranians.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told The Washington Post that he wasn’t bothered by Israel’s ability to veto weapons exports to third countries, saying, “Any time you enter into co-production, we have those restrictions.”
Patriot, bill, and stakes
The Washington Post reported that in lieu of Iron Dome, Israel returned Patriot missile batteries to the United States so they could be sent to Ukraine. During Zelensky’s meeting with President Donald Trump, The Washington Post said Trump told him it would be difficult to fulfill Ukraine’s request for 300 Patriot interceptors because those munitions were being expended in the Iran war.
The Washington Post said the House-passed $1.15 trillion defense policy bill would create an executive agent position inside the Defense Department to influence how the U.S. invests in co-production beyond missile defense, including “artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, machine learning, and autonomous systems.” Haaretz reported that Netanyahu turned down a request from late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham to transfer an Iron Dome air defense system to Ukraine in 2023, and said the Israeli embassy confirmed the decision out of concern that “the technology would find its way to the Iranians.”