Israeli PM at civil defence exercise, gas masks distributed
Like 0 Dislike 0 Published on 21 Jul 2015
Tsrifin army base
1. Wide shot of mock missile warhead at civil defence exercise UPSOUND (Hebrew) public address describing exercise
2. Various of civil defence crews dealing with mock warhead
3. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon watching civil defence
4. Various of civil defence teams training to deal with injured people
5. Various of civil defence exercise, crews and dogs training to rescue people from collapsed buildings
6. Various of Sharon meeting civil defence leaders
7. Wide shot as Sharon walks onto stage
8. SOUNDBITE (Hebrew) Ariel Sharon, Israeli Prime Minister:
"If Israel is attacked, Israel will know how to respond, that's what I have to say and I have nothing to add to this. In such situations we have to tell the public the truth. And the question asked all the time is is there any danger. And we have to tell the truth, there is a danger."
Jerusalem
9. Health ministry director-general Boaz Lev
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Boaz Lev, Israeli Health Ministry Director General:
"We have a contingency plan in which we are able to vaccinate the whole population within about four days, which would be necessary that in these circumstances."
Jerusalem
11. Gas mask training sign on wall
12. Various of Israelis at gas-mask distribution centre
13. Various of gas-masks wrapped in plastic and packed in boxes
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Vox-pop:
"Yeah, I think the threat is serious enough to make me come here and wait for a long hour."
15. Various of Israelis at gas-mask distribution center
STORYLINE:
Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said on Monday that the danger of an Iraqi attack on Israel existed, but that Israel "will know how to respond".
"Our forces are excellent and well-equipped," Sharon said after viewing Israeli civil defence teams training to deal with such an attack.
Israel is preparing for the possibility that if attacked, Iraq may strike at Israel as it did in the 1991 Gulf War when it fired 39 Scud missiles at Israeli population centers.
In 1991, all the missiles had conventional warheads, but now Israel fears that Saddam Hussein may use chemical or biological weapons.
Israel's Health ministry has already inoculated between 15-thousand and 20-thousand medical and rescue workers against the smallpox virus, and has enough immunizations to vaccinate the 6.6 million population if that's thought necessary.
The director-general of the health ministry, Dr Boaz Lev, said the ministry would be able to inoculate the entire Israeli population within days.
Distribution centres across Israel have reported that up to 20-thousand people a day are going to pick up gas-masks, in the hope that the masks will protect them against a possible chemical or biological attack.
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