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Israel
in the Middle |
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How
Do Israelis Feel about a U.S. Attack on Iraq?
Israelis
have vivid memories of sitting in their bomb shelters and wearing gas masks when
Iraq fired 39 scud missiles into Israel during the 1991 Persian Gulf War.
During
the Gulf War, missiles armed only with conventional warheads caused much damage
but killed only one Israeli. Israel anticipates that the next time Saddam Hussein
sends missiles to Israel, they will be armed with chemical and biological weapons.
Israel
has been distributing gas-mask kits to its population since the Gulf War and has
built a state-of-the-art, anti-missile battery to fend off Iraqi attacks. In case
of an attack, the Israeli Defense Minister has prepared
instructions on how to react to an Air Raid Alert Siren.
Despite the
danger of an Iraqi retaliatory attack on Israel, most Israelis support an American
attack on Iraq. Such an attack could remove Iraq as one of Israel's greatest security
threats. In addition, Iraq's support for Palestinian terror organizations
is well known; the Iraqi regime sends thousands of dollars to the families of
suicide bombers. It is the hope of many that U.S. military action in Iraq will
have positive effects throughout the Middle East by liberating the more moderate
forces in the Arab world. The ousting of Saddam Hussein's regime could inject
life into the Middle East Peace Process.
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Lisa Katz
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