Israeli Cabinet Cuts Funds for Civilian Gas Masks

Budget cuts mean that fewer than half of Israeli citizens will be able to have their gas masks renewed in 2007, The Jerusalem Post reported (see GSN, March 20).

The Israeli Cabinet sliced from its defense budget $26 million intended to provide all of its citizens with new gas masks by the end of the year.  Should war break out, Israel plans to quickly buy more masks from domestic and U.S. sources.

“This situation could be interpreted as neglect,” said one defense official.  “If war breaks out and nonconventional weapons are used, then we could find ourselves in a major crisis.” 

Israel presently has enough new gas masks for 1.5 million adults and 500,000 children, less than half its population (Yaakov Katz, The Jerusalem Post, July 9).

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