Fast Draw: Israel May Stop Producing Chemical Protection Kits for Citizens

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Israel knows Syria didn’t destroy it’s chemical weapons, but still debates discontinuing the production and distribution of chemical protection kits for citizens. So what’s really going on here? There’s no single answer: Typical Israeli chaos, lack of understanding, lack of coordination and more.

The Defense Minister received a recommendation to halt the project, especially in light of the recent chemical weapon disarmament agreement signed with Syria. Only 60% of citizens have chemical protection kits.

Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon holds a critical discussion today on the continuation of the production and the distribution of chemical protection kits to the Israeli public. Two months ago Yaalon received a recommendation to gradually halt the project, especially in light of the Syrian agreement.

IHLS – Israel Homeland Security

In the discussion two major alternatives will be presented: Immediately halting production and distribution, or a more gradual process and a complete production halt only next year.

The IDF Home Front Command still has around 700,000 kits in storage, still not distributed to the public. 44% of Israeli citizens still didn’t get their kits. The total cost of producing the remaining kits and distributing them is estimated at 1.3 billion shekels.

The entire discussion is meant to cover up this huge fiasco, the fact that only some of the citizens even have their kits, the fact that the project never had a proper budget and the fact that every Defense Minister only wants to counter the decisions of his predecessors.

The next board of inquiry is already on its way.