Israeli Ambassador Makes Alaska Trip for Arrow 3 Exercise

Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Ron Dermer, made an off-the-books visit to Alaska, where a joint series of tests were conducted on the new, long-range Arrow-3 anti-ballistic missile defense system. The tests reportedly included the interception of missiles outside of Earth’s atmosphere. Rumors began circulating over the weekend when Israel’s Channel 13 television station reported that Dermer’s “mysterious” trip was “dramatic” and “much more important” than his typical diplomatic responsibilities. In fact, the trip was so secretive that Israel’s military censor had barred until Sunday the publication of the primary details of the visit. Once approved for dissemination, Moshe Patel, director of the Israel Missile Defense Organization, said in a statement that “the fact that [this took] place in Alaska, [some 6,000 miles] from the State of Israel, shows the ability of the Arrow 3 system to successfully withstand any threat.” For his part, Adm. Jon Hill, head of the US Missile Defense Agency, said that his “team and industry partners are committed to helping the State of Israel upgrade its national missile defense capabilities in order to protect itself and the American forces deployed in the region from the growing threats.” The revelation comes on the heels of last week’s statement by US President Donald Trump that the chances of renegotiating the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran – from which he withdrew in May of last year – are dwindling, citing ongoing tensions in the Gulf while describing the Islamic Republic as a “state of terror.” Meanwhile, representatives of the remaining parties to the nuclear agreement – namely, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China – are slated to convene Sunday in Vienna in a last-ditch effort to salvage the accord after Iran recently upped its uranium enrichment to levels exceeding stipulated limits.