While the Syrian threat hangs over Israel, one that includes the use of chemical weaponry chas v’sholom, security officials announce that in a state of emergency only about 60% of the country will have gas masks. In addition, there is a shortage of the gas masks suited for persons with a beard. The experts add that while Israel faces the threat of a chemical attack from a nation that has one of the largest chemical weapons storehouses in the world, most of the country does not have atropine, which can save a life in the event of a such an attack. One-third of the nation does not have protection against a conventional attack, referring to a safe room or bomb shelter.
Officials explain that in short, Israel is far from ready for a warfare situation and those in charge of the Homefront Ministry failed to arrange for funding to advance the gas mask and other programs.
To date, 4.8 million gas masks have been distributed, representing about 60% of the nation. The gas masks for persons with beards are quite expensive and as such, they are only distributed to people for health reasons and citizens over the age of 73. They work with an air pump, permitting a more passive breathing and therefore, can be tolerated easier by senior citizens. Officials explain bearded men wishing to acquire a mask will have to shave in time of emergency.
One expert official quoted anonymously by Maariv explains “We have to be honest. If tens of chemical missiles strike Israel at one time we will not be able to deal with the situation.” The experts explain that since the likelihood of a chemical attack is low, the budgeting was invested in preparing the homefront against conventional attack, resulting in the deployment of the Arrow, Patriot and Iron Dome intercept systems.
The expert assessment is that in a time of war, the five Iron Dome batteries will not be deployed to protect civilian population areas as much as to protect strategic national sites, including IDF bases.
For citizens, most are clinging to electronic and other media to remain informed. In northern Israel, while the IDF has not given the order, many communities have decided to preempt and they have opened public and community shelters.
In line with the state of unpreparedness is the Israel Postal Company website. Persons wishing to order gas masks are urged to visit the website and place an order. YWN-ISRAEL made many attempts to access the site, which failed to respond most of the time – perhaps due to the high volume of visits.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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2 Responses
How can Israel be unprepared? They prepared for a chemical attack by Saddam Hussein in 1991, during the run-up to the Persian Gulf War by the U.S. Coalition liberating Kuwait.
If they were prepared then (and they were giving everyone gas masks at that time and training them for it) how are they unprepared now?
What a shameful article.
The government has been operating distribution centers throughout the country which provide ‘protection packs’ with gas masks for many, many years. It has regularly called on the public to go to such a center to take ‘protection packs’. Some 60% of the population has acted responsibly, heeded the government’s instructions and taken protective packs. Some 40% of the population has not bothered to do so. They have nobody to blame but themselves.
Furthermore, the country has been making many other investments in protective measures including building regulations (i.e., the construction of mama”dim) and missile defense systems some of which which, despite what the article reports, are as capable of intercepting missiles bearing chemical warheads as they are of intercepting missiles with conventional warheads and which are primarily deployed to protect the civilian population.
The author’s pathetic description of the Israeli public as ‘clinging to electronic and other media’ for information is but an indication of the article’s overall alarmist and whining slant.