The Obama Administration, ever friendly to Israel, promised to help Israel build a state-of-the-art facility in Tel Shahar which would contain the Arrow 3, a new ballistic missile. But the administration revealed specifications of the facility itself, which included the heating and cooling systems and the depth of the walls, thus providing Israel’s enemies with inside information on how the facility could be attacked.
The normal procedure of the Defense Department is to make such information public so bids can be competitive, but Israeli officials are upset over the disclosure. One Israeli official said, “If an enemy of Israel wanted to launch an attack against a facility, this would give him an easy how-to guide. This type of information is closely guarded and its release can jeopardize the entire facility. This is more than worrying, it is shocking.”
In March, Lt. Col. Peleg Zeevi, the head of the bidding process at Israel’s Defense Ministry, said US help was needed because Israel needed “a player that has the knowledge, ability and experience. We are aware of the security issues that arise in deals with foreign firms, but because we want real competition and expertise, we will create conditions that will allow and encourage their participation.”
The Tel Shahar facility is classified top secret. The details of the facility were first published in Jane’s Defence Weekly. The Arrow 3 system is considered first priority in Israel because of Iran’s rush developing nuclear weapons.
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