The newest battery of Israel’s stunningly effective Iron Dome missile defense system had been in place in Tel Aviv for just a few hours when terrorists in the Gaza Strip launched the first long-range rocket that threatened to slam into the densely populated coastal city, The Washington Post reported Sunday, December 2. Had the Nov. 17 strike succeeded, Israel’s latest clash with Palestinian terrorists, then in its fourth day, could have easily devolved into a protracted and devastating ground war. The interception of the Iranian-funded Fajr-5 rocket — and more than 400 other rockets — played a key role in the truce reached the following week, gave Israel bragging rights for sticking with a defense system that faced sharp domestic criticism, and is all but certain to redefine how the Jewish state and its adversaries fight in the future.