Israeli Gas Masks

From Jerusalem Post:

"Gas mask distribution is coming to an end"

Despite concern that Israel could come under a chemical attack due to the growing instability in Syria, the IDF Home Front Command will suspend distribution of gas masks at the end of the month due to a government refusal to allocate funds necessary to continue their production. By the end of March, a little over 4 million Israelis will have received new gas masks under the IDF’s distribution program which began in 2006 with the collection of the public’s old gas masks. The remaining 40 percent of Israel’s population will not have masks. Behind the shortage is a disagreement between the Defense Ministry and the Treasury over where the funding for the continued refurbishment and distribution of the masks will come from. The Defense Ministry has asked for a budget supplement while the Treasury has argued that the money should come from the regular defense budget.

^ This is unbelievable. I usually agree with Israel, but in this case I don't. The fact that the Israeli Government will stop giving out gas masks to its citizens because of a disagreement on which agency will pay for it. The threat of a biological or chemical attack from any number of Arab/Muslim countries on Israel is real and it would seem stupid if people are needlessly put at risk because they don't have gas masks. If I lived in Israel and couldn't get a free gas mask I would buy one myself and for my family to make sure we were covered - not giving gas masks will hurt those most at risk - the elderly, young and disabled as the others are in the military and would be called to defend the country if there was an attack. ^

http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=262496