The National Defense Authorization Act, passed in Congress earlier this week, will provide Israel with $200 million in funding for its critical missile defense programs.

The sprawling, nearly $800 billion bill, allocates $108 million to the Iron Dome, Israel’s primary defense against rocket attacks from Hamas and other terror groups. The funding allows Israel to buy the components necessary to keep the Iron Dome operational, and some of that money will make its way back to the United States, as the Iron Dome system relies on some components that are manufactured in America.

Another Israeli missile defense system, David’s Sling, will receive $30 million. David’s Sling is primary a system to protect against enemy planes, drones, and ballistic missiles.

The Arrow 3 Upper Tier Interceptor system, another system which is capable of destroying a ballistic missile in space, was given $62 million.

“I was very pleased we fully funded the Iron Dome and other Israeli missile defense programs, which, historically, were never controversial,” said GOP Rep. Doug Lamborne. “Unfortunately, in recent years, leading voices in the Democrat Party have become increasingly anti-Israel, and so much so that they oppose providing our strong friend Israel and entirely defensive weapon system like Iron Dome created to protect civilian population centers.”

“It is my hope,” Lamborn added, “that soon Iron Dome will be supplemented by ‘Iron Beam'” – a next-generation version of the Iron Dome which will utilize lasers to knock missiles out of the sky.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)