Reuters: Israel would welcome joint missile defence with Jordan, Egypt

Israel should include Jordan and Egypt in its anti-missile systems, a defence attaché for the US Embassy in Tel Aviv suggested on Monday.

Reuters quoted Brigadier-General John Shapland telling officials at a conference by the Institute for National Security Studies think-tank in Tel Aviv: “If we were able to build a regional defense capability in, say Jordan, that capability could easily defend Israel, Jordan and even Egypt, if you so desired, adding one more layer to your multi-layered defense.”

In response to the suggestion, Yair Ramati, head of the Israel Missile Defence Organisation, said: “The policy of the [Israeli] Defence Ministry is always to cooperate with the countries of the region, including the countries cited.”