Israeli defense officials are quietly angling for a seat at the table in President Donald Trump’s ambitious “Golden Dome” missile defense initiative, and a high-profile visit to Jerusalem by Sen. Lindsey Graham may have given that effort new momentum.

The push comes amid denials by Israel Aerospace Industries that it has delayed delivery of Arrow 3 interceptor missiles to the Israeli Air Force, which have raised concerns about Israel’s defensive readiness. Industry officials dismissed those claims as “pure spin,” saying production lines have been operating at full capacity and have accelerated since supply bottlenecks were resolved.

Behind the scenes, IAI leaders are focused on a bigger prize: potential participation in the Golden Dome, a U.S.-led, multi-layered air defense system inspired in part by Israel’s Iron Dome and Arrow programs.

That prospect appeared to gain traction Sunday after Graham met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Mossad Director David Barnea.

“The Prime Minister convinced me that Israel is developing weapons that will change the future of warfare,” Graham told reporters after the meeting. He said Netanyahu expressed willingness to collaborate closely with Washington and called a potential joint effort a “21st-century Manhattan Project.”

Graham did not specify which systems were discussed, but his comments were widely interpreted in Israel as a reference to the Golden Dome — a sweeping missile shield Trump has described as capable of defending the entire United States from ballistic and hypersonic threats using space- and ground-based interceptors. Trump has said he wants the system operational before the end of his current term.

IAI CEO Boaz Levy has openly voiced interest in the project, saying Israel could contribute critical technology even if production remains U.S.-based. “When you have an ally like this and the level of cooperation is so high, it can be done,” Levy said recently.

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