In a high-ranking ceremony in Jerusalem on Sunday, Israeli officials revealed the existence of a new technology that was successfully deployed during the recent Israeli invasions of Gaza. The weapon was developed by Raphael, the famous high tech Israeli military company. EIDP stands for "Emotionally Intelligent Delivery Platform."
As Raphael's head of the R&D department, Mr. M. Pathy, explained, EIDP is a modification of existing bomb and missile technology. A small compartment containing a saline solution is added to the weapon, together with a miniaturized camera and computer. A sophisticated algorithm analyzes images up to two seconds before impact. The algorithm, developed by scientists at the Technion, can recognize faces of children and distinguish them from adults. When the software triggers a positive identification, a micro-charge projects the container a hundred feet into the air. The container's flight is precisely timed so that the peak of its trajectory coincides with the explosion. Then, a small parachute opens and an electronic nozzle is activated. The contraption then descends slowly over the scene of the explosion while "crying" saline water from on top.
"We did it", said Mr Pathy, "to prove to oursleves who we are. Thanks to EIDP, I don't feel like a monster when I see the explosions on the TV screen. We spent 10 million Shekel ($2.5 million) on development, and each deployment costs over NIS 300,000. But we did it because it is the right thing to do."
Acclaimed author David Grossman was emotional in the delivery of praise for the new weapon. "It reminds me of everything that my son died protecting, the goodness, the sensitivity, the compassion of Israel. All too often, we have allowed dark forces to take over and to steer our state away from these fundamental values. This is a moment of re-affirmation, and I am grateful for the President and for Rafael Industries for allowing me to share it with them."
President Shimon Peres ended the event by asking pointedly, "can you imagine Hamas adding such a device to a suicide belt? To a Qassam rocket? They would never do it. That is the fundamental difference between us. They do not value human life like we do. And as long as that is the case, we have no choice but to keep fighting, but with humane, emotionally intelligent weapons that show our morality and compassion." (Haaretz, April 12, 2009)
After all the bad publicity with Liberman and all, it's consoling to read some inspiring news!
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