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Inside Israel

Israel not ready for non-conventional war


By Stan Goodenough
July 17, 2007

For the second time in a week Israelis learned Tuesday that the home front was unprepared for a non-conventional missile attack.

According to The Jerusalem Post, a report by a sub-committee of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee concluded that, should Syria or Iran strike with chemical or biological weapons, there would be no time to provide the people with protective equipment.

"By the time the supplies reached most of the citizens of Israel, it would already be too late," said Likud MK Yuval Steinitz, chairman of the Subcommittee on the Home Front's Preparedness.

The committee called for the handing out of gas warfare protection packs to Israelis on an individual basis and demanded that the kits be upgraded to cope with the non-conventional weaponry that could be unleashed against the country.

If this was not done, the outdated state of the equipment would bring the "de facto destruction by our own hands of the home front defense system."

Not everyone agreed that the situation was as dire as indicated by the recommendations.

The Post quoted Major-General Zeev Livne, the Home Front's former commanding officer, as admitting that things were not "particularly good," but adding that there was no need to worry.

"Assuming that what's [in the report] is correct, the situation isn't encouraging regarding protection from chemical weapons. However, there is no need for hysteria... but [rather] to act, and I know that steps are being taken," Livne said.

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