During the 2024 campaign, Trump repeatedly asked why the United States did not already have an Iron Dome-style system, citing Israel as a model.
By Vered Weiss, World Israel News
President Donald Trump said Thursday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should stop taking credit for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system, claiming it was based on US technology as he promoted plans for a North American missile shield during remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
“We did it for Israel,” Trump said. “And by the way, I told Bibi: ‘Bibi, stop taking credit for the dome. That’s our technology, that’s our stuff.’”
Trump made the comments during a wide-ranging appearance at the annual gathering, where he also addressed US claims on Greenland, developments in the Middle East, and what he described as the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
He praised Israeli forces, saying they were “good fighters” with “a lot of courage,” and claimed that Iran’s nuclear threat had been eliminated.
Israeli officials and defense experts have long said Iron Dome was developed by Israel’s government-owned defense firm Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, with US financial assistance supporting procurement but not core development.
According to Ynet, Washington previously pushed Israel to consider an American-made system, but Israeli officials ultimately moved forward with a domestically developed interceptor built by Israeli engineers.
Trump’s remarks drew attention in part because of their contrast with his own past statements. During the 2024 campaign, Trump repeatedly asked why the United States did not already have an Iron Dome-style system, citing Israel as a model.
That argument has resurfaced in recent days as he promotes his proposed “Golden Dome” missile defense project.
Trump first unveiled the Golden Dome concept last May, describing it as a cutting-edge shield incorporating advanced interceptor technology, including space-based components.
Speaking again in Davos, he said the system would be unlike anything currently in operation and would be manufactured entirely in the United States.
He estimated the project would take two and a half to three years to complete, with an overall cost of about $175 billion, and said it should be operational by the end of his second term. Trump has suggested that Greenland’s strategic location could play a role in the system’s deployment.
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