Whoops, there went another missile interception program

I didn't know until today that Globes, Israel's version of the Wall Street Journal/Financial Times, has an English site.

I found this item here:-

Israeli military divided on anti-Kassam rocket system

The US and Israel spent over $400 million on the Nautilus system before the US Army suspended financing.

Sources inform ''Globes'' that the US and Israel spent over $400 million on the Nautilus laser anti-missile system against rockets and Katyushas before the program was cancelled. Israel invested $150 million in the program. The main reasons the program was cancelled were a decision by the US Army to suspend financing, and the failure to shrink the system down to the stipulated size.

...Opinion in the [Israeli] ministry was divided whether to invest in development of a missile interception system because of calculations indicating that development costs of a missile would be NIS 1 billion. The calculation also showed that each missile fired against a Kassam would cost $50,000-100,000, in addition to the development costs.

The core argument against the system was that developing an interceptor missile was illogical.

Israel is highly skeptical about resuming the program. Israeli officials said, "We invested ten years in the project at high cost and with no results. What can happen now, after the US Army has lost interest?"