Washington Post analysis ripped for blaming Iron Dome system for extending Palestinian conflict: 'Unreal'

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Media top headlines May 17

The Associated Press facing scrutiny for claims it didn't know it shared a building with Hamas and more round out today's top media headlines.

A Washington Post "analysis" piece raised eyebrows Friday after it explored the supposed downsides of the Iron Dome defense system, arguing it perpetuates the Israeli-Palestinian conflict because the Jewish state has "less incentive to find a political solution."

The intercept system has prevented thousands of Hamas rockets from hitting their targets over the past decade, and it's again been successfully employed the past two weeks as the Islamist terrorist group has rained fire on Israel. But the piece by Yagil Levy fretted that because it enabled Israel to fire back with superior air strikes on Hamas-controlled Gaza, it may have the "perverse consequence" of perpetuating the conflict.

"The unintended consequences of this protective system complicate the story — by reducing the expected costs of bombing Gaza, Iron Dome allows Israel to act with less concern for civilian casualties, and gives Israel less incentive to find a political solution to its conflict with Gaza," wrote Levy, a professor of public policy and political sociology at the Open University of Israel.

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The story did not appear to note that the latest chapter in the conflict was again started by rocket fire from Hamas. The fighting between the two sides is the bloodiest since the 2014 Gaza War. Though Levy notes Iron Dome in a way protects Gaza civilians by nature of averting Israeli ground offenses, the system had mostly succeeded only in giving Israel a "false sense of security." 

"By intercepting almost all incoming rockets, Iron Dome released the Israeli leadership from political pressure to resolve the Gaza-Israel conflict, except from promoting short-term steps to improve the economy in Gaza," Levy wrote, adding, "The reduced pressure to resolve the conflict with Gaza also means Iron Dome gives Israelis a false sense of security, based on technological success — which isn’t guaranteed forever — rather than political solutions."

Critics erupted at finding fault in Iron Dome's ability to protect civilians.

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"Yes, Iron Dome saves innocent Israeli lives from the rockets fired at them by Hamas terrorists, but that's also problematic," Fox News Radio host and Townhall Political Editor Guy Benson tweeted.

Conservative radio host Erick Erickson reacted on his show, calling it a "politely worded" analysis that Iron Dome was faulty because "it allows Jews to survive terrorist attacks … Unreal, but not unexpected."

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Some of the liberal commentary around the conflict has centered on the notion that Israel defends itself too rigorously. "Daily Show" host Trevor Noah suggested Israel not fight back as hard because the Palestinian militants could not possibly win their conflict.