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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during Knesset assembly on Tuesday. Emil Salman
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Last update - 09:29 18/11/2009
Netanyahu: Israel is world's 'most threatened country'
By Amos Harel and Ora Coren, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Israel news 

Israel is "the most threatened country in the world," and the rocket attacks its civilian population has suffered are "attacks not experienced by any other state since Britain in World War II," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday.

Netanyahu was giving the closing remarks at the Israel Annual Conference on Aviation and Astronautics. Much of the discussion at the conference centered on missile defense.

"We are faced with enemies who do not conceal their intentions, and who arm themselves accordingly," the prime minister said. "They first attack us physically, and then attack our right to self-defense."
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He noted that despite the financial success of Israel's military industries, much money will be needed over the next decade to meet the state's defense needs. These funds can only be secured by faster growth, which in turn can only be achieved by cutting taxes, he argued.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who also spoke at the conference, said the multilayered missile interception system that Israel is now constructing is a necessary condition for any stable political arrangement in the Middle East.

One component of this system is the Israeli-developed Iron Dome, which intercepts short-range rockets. Another component, Magic Wand, is meant to intercept mid-range missiles, while the Arrow 3 system is supposed to be able to intercept long-range ballistic missiles.

Arrow 3 was developed jointly by Israel and the United States. Current estimates put its development cost at around $1 billion, and it is unclear whether Israel will bear 30 or 50 percent of this cost. Military industry sources said Tuesday that if the funding is not delayed, the system can be completed within three years.

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    IN PICTURES / Did Prime Minster Netanyahu risk his life for a photo op?
      1.   This is really unhealthy...4th strongest Army 04:10  |  John 18/11/09
      2.   Make some peace treaties and stop complaining 04:36  |  binny 18/11/09
      3.   yeah right!!! 4th largest weapons exporter armed with nukes 04:40  |  arash 18/11/09
      4.   Isreal? Most Threatened Country? 04:40  |  Jason 18/11/09
      5.   Netanyahu: Israel is world`s `most threatened country` 04:51  |  Hugh 18/11/09
      6.   No, actually. 04:58  |  Johnboy 18/11/09
      7.   how is it friggin possible... 05:01  |  edgar 18/11/09
      8.   Most threatened country 05:13  |  Edifice 18/11/09
      9.   Has He Heard of Palestine and Lebanon, Since WW2? 05:15  |  Monitor 18/11/09
      10.   Who`s threatening who? 05:25  |  maoriboy 18/11/09
      11.   2+2=5 05:27  |  Brian 18/11/09
      12.   It is the other way around 05:37  |  Peter 18/11/09
      13.   most obnoxious and threatening coiuntry 05:49  |  give me a break 18/11/09
      14.   Palestinians one of the most threatend folks 06:06  |  Basil 18/11/09
      15.   Oh I dunno... 06:12  |  Colin Wright 18/11/09
      16.   ...most threatened "fake" country... 06:26  |  Johnny b Good 18/11/09
      17.   Ain`t this great!@ 06:43  |  J 18/11/09
      18.   What should the palestinians say!! 06:48  |  Markos 18/11/09
      19.   id prime minister say so I will consider leaving this unsafe plce 06:53  |  Moise 18/11/09
      20.   Netanyahu forgets about Palestine, so of course it is threatened 06:55  |  newageblues 18/11/09
      21.   We get it; your an eternal "victim" 07:03  |  Matt 18/11/09
      22.   Netanyahu makes me laugh 07:18  |  harvey 18/11/09
      23.   Moniter this... 07:22  |  Ori 18/11/09
      24.   Occupational Lies = Palestinian Weakness 07:34  |  Ori 18/11/09
      25.   yes and no 08:00  |  DOV 18/11/09
      26.   the threat! 08:31  |  arieh zimmerman 18/11/09
      27.   But Bibi, we make these enemies with-our-own-hands... 08:44  |  Esther 18/11/09
      28.   John making up stories from SF - Israel didn`t threaten Iran 08:51  |  Joe Sittizen 18/11/09
      29.   Guys, Bibi is talking about proportionality, I`m sure you what is 09:05  |  Jew 18/11/09
      30.   #6 Johnboy 09:15  |  H 18/11/09
      31.   John #1 Aren`t you ashamed of yourself? 09:44  |  S 18/11/09
      32.   Israel both most threatened AND most threatening country..... 10:03  |  Swiss (Dino) 18/11/09
      33.   The flip side of Netanyahu`s statement... 10:16  |  Ben 18/11/09
      34.   most threatened? 10:21  |  Rick 18/11/09
      35.   Stupid S 10:30  |  John Spear 18/11/09
      36.   Correction Bibi 10:38  |  Sam Soul 18/11/09
      37.   Netanyahu`s government is failing 10:48  |  Chris Linthwaite 18/11/09
      38.   # 22 Ori Moniter this... 10:55  |  Traude 18/11/09
      39.   Israel a nuclear armed country 10:57  |  Chris Linthwaite 18/11/09
      40.   Nethaniau just ridicolous 11:02  |  Ali Al jabbar 18/11/09
      41.   This is more fear mongering by Israel to get Iran ... 11:07  |  Dutch 18/11/09
      42.   Of course Israel is threatened .. 11:19  |  un2here 18/11/09
      43.   #27 Iran threat 11:20  |  Johnnie 18/11/09
      44.   Israel the most thtreatened 11:27  |  DT 18/11/09
      45.   Lies for breakfast, every day 11:28  |  LanosIceland 18/11/09
      46.   Joe Sittizen #27 `are you stupid enough` 11:31  |  Roo 18/11/09
      47.   Thanks Bibi not had such a belly laugh 11:31  |  Ivor Biggun 18/11/09
      48.   #26, Esther, maybe you, but not me 11:42  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 18/11/09
      49.   To Ori 11:44  |  Sam Soul 18/11/09
      50.   #2 Binny Well said 11:48  |  Ahmet 18/11/09
      51.   #1 LOL 12:22  |  Alan SA 18/11/09
      52.   surely this should read: Israeli is world`s most threatening coun 12:23  |  susie 18/11/09
      53.   And its biggest threat is you Bibi 12:34  |  Ussishkin 18/11/09
      54.   DT Israel the most thtreatened 12:36  |  Traude 18/11/09
      55.   Israel wouldn`t be a live without CONFLICT 12:45  |  muhammad karim 18/11/09
      56.   Not only paranoidic with the sense of... 13:14  |  Anne 18/11/09
      57.   Threatening not threatened and everybody knows it 13:31  |  Ezra 18/11/09
      58.   Many here do not want to see reality . 14:00  |  rafiq 18/11/09
      59.   woe is me-bibi may be right-however unintentionally 14:09  |  jeremy neryah 18/11/09
      60.   some prime-ministers,of "countries most threatened" 14:14  |  frank villon 18/11/09
      61.   Agree, but if Bibi wants to stop all the attacks the.. 14:18  |  Saleh Ibn S 18/11/09
      62.   YES, I repeatedly heard.... 14:34  |  northern neighbor 18/11/09
      63.   #53. rafiq? ever heard of PEACE treaty? 14:46  |  Thoughtful Jew 18/11/09
      64.   Above criticism evidence of why Israel is threatened 14:47  |  Lee 18/11/09
      65.   cIPORA #47, response so esoteric that it is beyond me... 15:57  |  Esther 18/11/09
      66.   Bibi whining again... 16:17  |  Silvienne 18/11/09
      67.   Neighbourhood bully is usually the most threathened 16:20  |  Labhras 18/11/09
      68.   Both sides are obsessed with victimhood 16:21  |  Israeli 18/11/09
      69.   Israel is the most threatening country 16:22  |  Steve 18/11/09
      70.   I Love The TalkBacks That State "And Most Threatening" 16:26  |  Eli 18/11/09
      71.   The Myths He Must Perpetuate 16:27  |  Yaakov Sullivan 18/11/09
      72.   Israel is the Most Threatened Country 16:33  |  Ron 18/11/09
      73.   See me! See me! 16:41  |  r cummings 18/11/09
      74.   What about Palestine ? 16:47  |  Jan Elshout 18/11/09
      75.   Not quite 17:05  |  White Russian 18/11/09
      76.   John #1 17:09  |  citizen zero 18/11/09
      77.   #8 17:21  |  White Russian 18/11/09
      78.   Israel is world`s `most threatened country 17:23  |  Rajiv 18/11/09
      79.   case in point 17:25  |  citizen zero 18/11/09
      80.   RE: Israel is world`s `most threatened country` 17:38  |  Moshe 18/11/09
      81.   Threatened, by justice and truth. 17:41  |  Gen. Tarik Ibn Ziyad 18/11/09
      82.   jason #4 17:42  |  Drew 18/11/09
      83.   Bibi`s debut at stand up comedy 17:49  |  White Russian 18/11/09
      84.   Bibi Gone Too Far! 17:51  |  Stephen 18/11/09
      85.   Does Not Have To Be Like That 18:03  |  vladek 18/11/09
      86.   our enemies 18:03  |  Drew 18/11/09
      87.   Swiss (Dino) Israel accepted compromise many times 18:30  |  David Israel 18/11/09
      88.   Bibi just makes that contention so that Israel ... 18:38  |  Esther 18/11/09
      89.   Ahmet - as they say in Tukish 18:39  |  David Israel 18/11/09
      90.   Is this true? 18:46  |  directrob 18/11/09
      91.   Fear Mongering Untruthful Bibi 18:50  |  Uzi Levy 18/11/09
      92.   Is this a joke? 18:51  |  Ron 18/11/09
      93.   To #34 John Spear 18:52  |  S 18/11/09
      94.   OBVIOUSLY Israel is most threatened country! 18:57  |  yona 18/11/09
      95.   #57 rafiq - how many western nations go without borders? 18:58  |  binny 18/11/09
      96.   a question of perspective 18:59  |  Carol Scheller 18/11/09
      97.   Now we are sounding Paranoid 19:00  |  John Q. Public 18/11/09
      98.   Oh, i get it! 19:06  |  White Russian 18/11/09
      99.   netanyahu,israel.... 19:39  |  anne 18/11/09
      100.   From one Ron to the Other Ron, 89 22:39  |  Ron 18/11/09
      101.   LOL. What a joke 23:36  |  jens 18/11/09
      102.   To Binny - You State A Point But Omit History 00:17  |  Eli 19/11/09
      103.   Oh really? Don`t think so. 00:58  |  Mark Jeffery Koch 19/11/09
      104.   JOHN.KHOMEINI started threatening Israel NOT the other way around 02:03  |  PETER SM 19/11/09
      105.   response to Yona 03:05  |  newageblues 19/11/09
      106.   #62, Esther 07:06  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 19/11/09
      107.   Bibi is correct 07:30  |  Lily 19/11/09
      108.   John Q. Public,what do you think about Ahmadinejad? 07:58  |  Tell me 19/11/09
      109.   NO JOKE! terrorist attacks,Qassams,assymetric warfare sponsored 08:18  |  PETER SM 19/11/09
      110.   Israel most threatened country 09:19  |  Luis 19/11/09
      111.   That`s the way I love you both Esther #62 and Cipora # 98! 11:35  |  S 19/11/09
      112.   #77 Nobody could have said it better! 12:25  |  Observer 19/11/09
      113.   Israel has made a choice .... 20:35  |  Gary 19/11/09
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