06.04.2026 • 6 Min.

This is the English version of a German episode. Rocket alert. Siren. Streaks of light across the sky. Explosions in mid-air. That's the Iron Dome — Israel's missile defense system, which detects incoming rockets, calculates their trajectory, and decides in seconds whether to intercept. When rockets are fired at Israel — from Gaza, from Lebanon, from Iran — the Iron Dome is the first line of defense. The success rate is around 90 percent. But the system doesn't cover the whole country, and it can be overwhelmed. October 7th, 2023 showed that. This episode is about how the Iron Dome works, where its limits are, and what people in unprotected areas do instead. Questions, feedback, or topic suggestions: podcast@elisabeth-krafft.de Editorial & Production: Elisabeth Krafft Originally published in German as: Wie schützt sich Israel vor Raketenangriffen – und wo versagt der Iron Dome? This Podcast was translated with the help of AI.