Iron Dome missile defense system voted top Israeli invention

In March 2013, officials, including President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, next to a battery of the Iron Dome, Israel’s U.S.-funded missile-defense system. (JNS) – The Iron Dome missile defense system has been voted the winner of Israel’s Ministry of Economy and Industry contest ranking of the greatest Israeli inventions of all time, in honor of Israel’s 70th Independence Day.

In the first stage of the competition, 70 Israel inventions were listed and then whittled down to the top nine by 52,000 participants. In the second stage, some 63,000 online participants had to choose the single greatest Israeli invention.

In first place among the top nine came the Iron Dome missile-defense system. St. Petersburg’s own Eric Lynn, who worked for the State Department during the Obama administration, was instrumental in getting the U.S. to financially back the system. Between 2011 and 2016, Iron Dome reportedly intercepted about 1,500 targets, a success rate of some 90 percent.

Behind the Iron Dome, the invention competition chose the Waze international navigation system; the drip-irrigation targeted watering system; Disk On Key data storage; the surgical assistance robot Watergen, which extracts water for use from the air; durable Shoresh sandals; Check Point IT security software and hardware; and the military spy satellite Ofek.

The inventions “are excellent examples of Israeli ingenuity, innovation and creativity that provide solutions to significant challenges, inspire the world and bring a lot of national pride for Israel,” said Economy and Industry Minister Eli Cohen.