However, night vision goggles and Israeli produced drones, according to reliable sources, were part of Israel's technological contribution to the the high-tech efficiency of the allied forces.
In due course, after the Allied Forces remove Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction and thoughts are turned to curbing nuclear proliferation the prospect will present itself for a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The steps to achieve this goal may prove to be easiest to implement in the period immediately after the war and decreasingly likely as we move away from the fateful days in March. Israel's security is best assured by unilateral action since it has learned that regional arms control depends on dedication to the principle. Israelis have as yet been able to place trust in the integrity of promises from Iran and Libya. However, the disarming of Iraq removes one of Israel' most implacable enemies.
There is skepticism about Arafat's having ceded sufficient power to the newly appointed prime-minister of the Palestinian National Council, for the latter to institute democratic reforms.
The four nation Road to Peace Plan that promises the Palestinians a national homeland may have to consider the use of force to root out the terrorist factions such as Hizbollah and Hamas while disarming the extreme elements of Arafat's own Fatah. The framers of Oslo Agreement erred in the premature arming of the Palestinians. As much as Israel needs a return to normalcy it will need to show resolve to resist quick solutions.
While quick and imposed solutions may provide temporary relief from terror and suicide bombings, past experience has shown that without addressing basic issues to each side they only sow the seeds for more violence at a future date.
While the spectacular high-tech air strikes were capturing the attention of the observers we heard reports how the new version of the Patriot (PAC3) had hit several incoming low flying missiles sent into the direction of Kuwait. While it may be pre-mature to award the PAC3 the highest grades yet indications are that the improved Patriots scored infinitely better than the earlier versions. Israel's Arrow System the joint Israel-US anti-ballistic deterrent was not put to the test . We had reported the comments made about the Arrow: "We did a lot of testing and most were successful," said Danny Peretz, the program manager for the Arrow at Israel Aircraft Industries, the prime contractor of the system. "But we know in our hearts, and put it into the design, that this weapon will be tested fully only in war."