"We have equipped ourselves with millions of protection kits against biological or chemical warfare, and a massive distribution program for the population started today," Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai said.
"Every family in Israel can receive these kits at home and be instructed on how to use them by Israeli postal workers, at an average cost of 25 shekels ($5), or pick them up free of charge at post office counters," Vilnai said.
The event coincided with a statement made today by a senior Iranian cleric that Tehran would retaliate forcefully if attacked by Israel. Jerusalem has not ruled out the use of force against Iran's nuclear program, which it believes is aimed at producing weapons (see related GSN story, today).
"If the enemy takes its chance and fires a missile towards Iran, the dust from an Iranian missile strike will rise in the heart of Tel Aviv even before the dust from the attack settles" in Iran, said Mojtaba Zolnoor, an aide to Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The kit allocation was "not linked to any precise current threat," according to Vilnai.
Israel had previously announced it would supply gas masks to the nation's 8 million citizens by 2013. The country has already administered 70,000 gas masks to people residing in a community near Tel Aviv (Agence France-Presse/Yahoo!News, April 6).
Comments (4)
Genesis:12 verses 1-3
And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing
And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
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