Sealing tape and plastic sheets: a booming business in Israel
Israel, Local, 2/17/1998

Israelis blame their government for the current state of panic saying the flow of anti-Iraq statements and the "unnecessary volatile threats" aired by a number of Israeli officials make it almost impossible to avert an Iraqi attack on Israel.

"I have no reason not to panic or not to worry," said Moshe, a 60-year old man from Tel Aviv who arrived early in the morning to one of the protection kit distribution centers in the city. He blames the current state of concern among ordinary Israelis on his government which, according to him, has failed to practice any kind of self restraint and appeared "as if it was challenging [Iraqi President] Saddam Hussein and inviting him to attack Israel.

"We all know that this language of needless challenge to Iraq or to any other Arab country is not necessary at all. There are so many signals from different countries that rule out an Iraqi attack on Israel and believe it may not take place at all. But our government is behaving as if the chances for such an attack are over 90 percent," he said.

Moshe is a typical Israeli resident of Tel Aviv. He was among the first round of the city's residents who left their homes and stayed with relatives in West Jerusalem soon after the 1991 Gulf War broke out. Today, however, he said his relatives do not live in Jerusalem anymore and that he has a problem finding an appropriate place to live in away from Iraqi Scud missile threats. For the time being, he said, he decided to stay where he is today, hoping that international efforts succeed in avoiding another outburst of a new confrontation in the Middle East.

In general, there is a sense of defeatism among average Israelis. The old sentiments of being proud of the Massada heritage are not there anymore. Many Israelis, mainly those living in the center of the country like Tel Aviv and its vicinity, believe they should leave their homes and seek refuge elsewhere should Iraq launch missiles on Israel.

Geula, an Israeli woman in her early fifties, was waiting for her turn too. For her, the chances of war are high and she said she is confused as to where should she go and seek refuge. "I cannot stay in Tel Aviv because last time, a house next to ours received a direct hit from an Iraqi Scud missile. The impact of the explosion rocked our house and we felt as if it landed over our heads," she said. She pointed out that she is not ready at all to take a similar risk again.

She thought of going up north where her sister lives, but after the Lebanese Hizbullah militiamen launched a number of Katyusha rockets to northern Israel a few days ago, she changed her mind. "I do not want to end up like running from the frying pan into the fire. To run away from Scud missiles and get hit by Katyushas is something I do not want to go through. I'd rather go somewhere to the south as far as Eilat and not stay around," she said. Eilat, the tourist resort city on the Red Sea, is considered the safest in Israel because Iraqi missiles are thought to be incapable of hitting it. It falls a bit beyond the average range of Scud missiles.

Some Israelis living in the center thought of Beer Sheva, another city in the southern part of Israel, as a place for refuge. But the fact that it is not far from Israel's maximum security nuclear reactor of Dimona minimized its status as a safe city. During the Gulf War, Iraq managed to launch one Scud missile towards Dimona. Israel said it fell quite far from the reactor and caused no damage. This time, some Israeli experts believe, Iraq might try and use its strategic fighter-bombers, Sukhoi 24, to infiltrate through Israel's air defenses and attack Dimona. Sukhoi has a remarkable ability to maneuver and can fly at a very low altitude to avoid enemy radar.

But, according to western intelligence, Israel has acquired surveillance capability that allows her to monitor incoming planes even if they fly at the lowest altitude possible. Using satellite technology, Israeli surveillance planes hovering over the occupied Golan Heights, for instance, can monitor the movement of almost every plane that takes off from any of Baghdad's airports.

Sealing tapes and plastic sheeting have become the most booming business in Israel as the state of panic, somehow controlled though, continues in anticipation of a possible Iraqi attack with missiles armed with chemical or biological warheads. Statements made recently by Israeli senior officials, including Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai, were aimed at cooling public anxiety over the Gulf crisis, but the effect was counter-productive. Thousands of Israelis pour daily to gas mask distribution centers all over the country while land and real estate dealers in southern Israel said they have received an enormous number of orders from Israelis living in the center like Tel Aviv and its vicinity. They all wanted to leave their homes and live in the south, which they think is not on top of the hit list for Iraqi missiles.

Another phenomena that has characterized Israeli behavior lately was the rise in ticket sales for trips abroad. According to various estimates, ticket sales for trips to other countries in the coming few days have gone up by 40 percent. And all, in one way or another, is blamed on the government. The Israeli army spokesman and the Defense Ministry had advised Israelis to prepare equipment for sealed rooms, but stressed there is no need to start taping the windows, a measure taken to prevent injury by glass shrapnel in case of explosion.

Israel had asked the US for enough time to prepare itself before US warplanes start their attack on Iraq. A minimum of 24 hours warning was reportedly guaranteed in talks between the US Defense Department and Israel's Defense Ministry. But despite all signs of preparations, most of the Israeli public still believe that Iraq is not going to fire missiles on Israel. A poll conducted by Dahaf center in Israel showed that close to three quarters of the Israeli public claim to disbelieve that Saddam Hussein will attack Israel with missiles. Yet, the Israelis continue to stockpile food and protection kits. Ironically, the poll itself was conducted on a day when some 50,000 Israelis reported to distribution centers to receive their protection kits.

Previous Stories:
  US providing Israel anti-biological weapons   (2/10/1998)
  Turkish military official visits Israel to discuss Iraq crisis   (2/7/1998)
  Means Israel has to deploy in attacking Iraq   (2/6/1998)

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