Liberals may have scoffed at the idea in 1981, but they are plenty torqued off now that Jewish lives ARE being saved.
For the same reason, President Obama erred in 2013 with his decision to scrap -- in response to Russian objections -- a planned system in Europe to defend against missile threats from the Middle East. Obama won no good will from the Russians, even as he forfeited an important opportunity to strengthen U.S. allies against future threats. Missile defense allows strong nations to defend themselves against weaker enemies without resorting to terrorist tactics or fighting bloody wars. This is a win-win, except for terrorists like Hamas and national rulers bent on aggression against neighbors.