Chemical weaponsIsrael State Comptroller says some IDF units unprepared for chemical attack
Israel’s State Comptroller Joseph Shapira on Wednesday harshly criticized the Israel Defense Force (IDF) for not having sufficient number of gas masks for one of its branches. The comptroller levelled his criticism in the unclassified portion of his discussion of defense issue in his annual report on government performance. In February, Israel has discontinued the distribution of gas masks to the general population, and the dismantling of Syria chemical weapons arsenal has led some Israeli defense experts to question the need for Israel to continue and invest in defensive measures against chemical weapons attacks.
Israel’s State Comptroller Joseph Shapira on Wednesday harshly criticized the Israel Defense Force (IDF) for not having sufficient number of gas masks for one of its branches. The comptroller levelled his criticism in the unclassified portion of his discussion of defense issue in his annual report on government performance.
The portion of the report which was made public did not identify which branch of the military was having the problem with gas masks.
The Jerusalem Post reports that the full version of the report, including the classified sections, was presented to a subcommittee of the Knesset State Control Committee.
The unclassified sections of the report reviewed the state of preparedness of the IDF, and the ability of the military to cope with chemical warfare.
The report covers the period from January to August 2013.
Shapira discusses the IDF’s approach to chemical weapons threats, its readiness for specific chemical attack scenarios, and the preparedness of the infantry, medical corps, and other units. The comptroller examined the equipment, logistics, and planning aspects of the IDF’s readiness for a chemical weapons attack.
The report notes that many of its conclusions were based on evaluations conducted by the military itself and by the Defense Ministry’s units responsible for readiness inspections.
Shapira noted that the current report reviewed the manner in which the military has implemented changes and corrections highlighted in earlier reports on this issue.
The comptroller said that the training drills the IDF conducts were insufficient for achieving and maintaining the required battle-readiness for chemical attack scenarios, noting that some of the exercises are conducted without the equipment which would be required in case of a real attack.
In fall 2013, Shapira criticized the government for not having a sufficient number of gas masks in storage for distribution to the general population in case of an emergency.
Earlier this year the government decided to discontinue the distribution of gas masks to the public.
The Post notes that the dismantling of Syria chemical weapons arsenal has led some Israeli defense experts to question the need for Israel to continue and invest in defensive measures against chemical weapons attacks.
