Israel's Iron Dome anti-rocket system hailed a success
Iron Dome anti-rocket interceptor system is hailed a success after it shot down more than 300 missiles headed for Israeli towns and cities
An abiding image of former Israeli defence minister Amir Peretz was a photograph of him peering at a military drill - with the black lens caps still on his binoculars. Peretz resigned months after the 2006 war in Lebanon, which was widely regarded as a failure.
Yet this past week, as rockets fired by Gaza militants streaked towards Israeli cities, Peretz was being hailed as a defence visionary for having had the foresight while in office to push for the development of Iron Dome, Israel's unique anti-rocket interceptor system.
The naysayers now are few. In the five days of Israel's fierce assault on militant infrastructure in Hamas-run Gaza between Wednesday and Sunday, Iron Dome intercepted more than 300 rockets fired at densely populated areas, with a success rate of 80 to 90 per cent, top officials said on Sunday.
Developed with significant US funding and undergoing its ultimate battle test, the system had saved many lives, protected property and proved to be a strategic game changer, experts said.
Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak toured a newly deployed mobile unit near Tel Aviv on Sunday and described Iron Dome as "probably the most technologically impressive achievement in recent years in Israel". He called its performance "almost perfect".