Abraham Rabinovich, Jerusalem | August 15, 2007

ISRAELI Defence Minister Ehud Barak has suspended the planned distribution of gas masks to the Israeli public because of fears the move could be taken by Syria as preparation for imminent war and trigger a pre-emptive attack by Damascus.

For months, the Israeli media have been reporting concern by Israeli military intelligence over the possibility that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad might launch a missile strike against Israel or undertake a more limited attack on the Golan Heights.

Mr Assad's ascribed motives include an attempt to prod negotiations over the Golan Heights, captured by Israel in 1967, and fear that Israel is planning a strike against Syria to regain the deterrence lost in its inconclusive war against Hezbollah in Lebanon last year.

Syria has in the past year undertaken a significant build-up of its armed forces that for the first time in decades gives it a military potential Israel must take seriously, including numerous ground-to-ground missiles capable of striking anywhere in Israel, including Tel Aviv.

Tel Aviv newspaper Yediot Achronot reported that Syria, to offset Israel's air superiority, had the densest array of anti-aircraft missile batteries in the world, including the latest models coming off Russian production lines.

The Syrian army has been carrying out intensive manoeuvres and has built up its forces opposite the Golan Heights. It has also equipped itself with new Russian anti-tank missiles that can penetrate tank armour.

Israel distributed gas masks to its entire population before the Gulf War of 1991 in anticipation of a missile attack, possibly with chemical warheads, by Saddam Hussein. The Iraqis fired several dozen missiles at Israel but only with conventional warheads.

After last year's war, during which thousands of Hezbollah rockets hit Israel, the defence establishment decided to collect all masks still in civilian hands for refurbishing and then redistribute them so as to be prepared for chemical weapons use in a future conflict. It is this redistribution Mr Barak has put on hold.

The threat of a chemical attack in Israel is very real indeed. I myself had my own gas-mask, and plastic sheets to seal my room in Tel-Aviv in the 90s. Israel is well used to these threats from it's enemies. Once again we hear that Syria has "Russia" on it's side, but Israel has a much greater helper on her side, His name is "Adonai Tzevaot" the Lord of Hosts. Gog and his armies are getting ready to do battle with tiny Israel, and as the Bible tells us, Gog will be destroyed on the mountains of Israel. The bible says it, I believe it, that settles it. Halleluyah

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