Gas mask
Photo: Avi Moallem
Budget row hampers gas mask upgrade
Defense Ministry says NIS 300 million needed to upgrade over six million gas masks for times of chemical warfare
A budget row between the finance and defense ministry is hampering a project to upgrade over six million gas masks produced to protect Israel's population from chemical attacks, Ynet has learnt.
Over six million gas masks distributed by the Ministry of Defense after the first Gulf War are either in the process of being collected by private contractors or no longer usable.
Shalon, a company selected by the Defense Ministry to upgrade old masks has yet to get the go-ahead to embark on a task that would cost the state NIS 300 million.
Security officials say that although the government has approved the amount, the Finance Ministry has not transferred a dime despite making a pledge to doll out an initial budget of NIS 40 million to upgrade gas masks.
"That's a scandalous attitude. It is impossible that the matter is finalized but the Finance Ministry does nothing to transfer the money when at the end of the day if something happens the Defense Ministry will be blamed," Defense Ministry official said.
The Finance Ministry said in response that a budget of NIS 450 million allocated for the protection of Israeli citizens at times of war was transferred to the Defense Ministry under a special project approved by the government in 2005.
'We need to feel safe'
"This amount was transferred to the Defense Ministry, and therefore the claims by the security establishment are unfounded," the Treasury said in a statement.
The Treasury added that a request by the Defense Ministry for an additional NIS 300 million for gas masks has not been approved.
"The Defense Ministry, having received the full amount it demanded in the initial project, requested an additional NIS 300 million for 200-2008 – a request that was not part of the initial project," Treasury officials continued.
Over one million gas masks have been collected by private contractors, and estimates are that it would take another one and a half years to collect the remaining five million, which will be kept in special depots until funds for their upgrading are made available.
Syrian President Bashar Assad warned last year that Syria would not hesitate to reclaim the Golan Heights from Israel by force if diplomatic options failed.
Assad's remarks raised concern in Israel that Damascus was buoyed by Hizbullah's good performance against the Israeli army during last summer's war and fancied its chances against what most Arabs thought was an invincible army.
Although Assad has made numerous peace overtures towards Israel in recent years, his rush to upgrade the ailing Syrian army and air force has alarmed many in Israel.
A former Israeli general told Ynet on Monday that Israel was not fully prepared for chemical warfare. "There are gaps that will require ample time to be filled and it is possible that we will face situations where citizens will be in danger," said Zeev Livne, a former Home Front Command chief.
Livne added that the gas masks project was three years behind schedule because of a budget row between the finance and defense ministries.
But for Livne, as for Israel's seven million citizens, a solution needs to be found urgently "so that we all feel safe."
Tova Dadon and Moran Rada contributed to this report
