Iron Dome

Iron Dome tells the remarkable story of how a single military system, designed to protect against rockets, reshaped Israel’s politics and strategy. Conceived against resistance from many, and developed at extraordinary speed, Iron Dome eventually became one of the most iconic symbols of modern warfare.

Drawing on extensive fieldwork and interviews with Israeli and American decision-makers, Jean-Loup Samaan traces the rise of Iron Dome against the backdrop of Israel’s wars with Hamas and Hezbollah. The new system enabled Israel’s governments to assuage the fears of its population amid the flow of rockets targeting its cities.

However, the book shows that the story of Iron Dome is more than a tale of technological prowess: it reveals key insights into the evolving conflict between Israel and the Palestinians since the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip in 2007, the struggle within the Israeli Defense Forces to adapt its strategy, and the way missile defence is shaping the future of Israel-US military cooperation. It also offers a compelling study of the core tensions of modern warfare, from the dilemma between offence and defence to the uneasy marriage of strategy and technology.