Amid Syria Chaos, Israelis Seek Gas Masks
Israeli gas mask kit distribution centers are facing increased demand in response to fighting in Syria.
Maariv and the Times of Israel reported that distribution centers have given out 3,700 masks per day on Monday and Tuesday, and 4.2 million total.
Haaretz reported, however, that 47 percent of Israel is still without masks. On average, since 2010, the distribution centers have given out 2,200 kits per day.
The increased demand comes as Israeli leaders fear that Syrian chemical weapons could fall into the hands of Hebollah, a terrorist group in southern Lebanon.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman said Tuesday that the transfer of such weapons would be a “clear casus belli,” according to the Times of Israel.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and the protests on college campuses.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.