Israel to simulate biological warfare attack
Largest exercise of its kind in Israel's history; rescue units to locate biological hazard, treat patients.
By Anshel Pfeffer Tags: Israel newsAn exercise simulating a response to a biological warfare attack will be carried out in the Dan region next week.
The exercise, which will be the largest of its kind in Israel's history, will be carried out in Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, and Holon and aims to evaluate the ability of the Home Front, the medical services, rescue teams and the municipal authorities to respond in the conditions created by a biological catastrophe caused either by terrorists or by accident.
The exercise, code named Orange Flame, will be held on Wednesday and Thursday next week, and rescue units of the Home Front Command and special detection units of the Health Ministry, will be tasked to locate the biological hazard and deal with hundreds of citizens who were hypothetically exposed to the substance.
Major hospitals, like Ichilov, Tel Hashomer and Sheba, as well as health maintenance organization clinics will prepare to receive the injured in the simulated incident.
Three centers for the reception of those affected will be set up at Beit Dani in Tel Aviv, at Winter Stadium in Ramat Gan, and at the Holon Country Club, where more than 1,000 volunteers will be sent.
The volunteers have been trained to behave like people who have been exposed to biological agents, and they will receive treatment at the three centers. The purpose of the exercise is to "train the country to deal with biological terrorism attacks," according to Brigadier General (res.) Ze'ev Snir, who is the defense minister's special assistance on the subject.
"The first challenge is to contain the damage as much as possible and then to identify the material involved so it will be possible to continue with normal life," according to Danny Laor, head of emergency services at the Health Ministry.
Both officials spoke at a press briefing on the planned exercise.
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when the Jewish People's Council accepted the boundaries of UNGA res 181 on out behalf. No territory has ever been legally annexed to Israel. The territories Israel has acquired by war, outside of it's Sovereign Boundaries, IS theft. "Israel has been attacked all the time before 1967" What actual Israeli Sovereign territory has EVER been attacked?
Israel is not "stealing" but reclaiming ancestral lands. Palestinians are "killed" in wars that Israel does not initiate but rather responds to persistent attack. Israel has been attacked all the time before 1967. It is hated because it is there, regardless of borders/policies. To claim otherwise is to distort history. For Jews there is no other choice as the killing rate of Jews now, despite Israel's wars, is much lower than prior to Israel's creation. So, re-establishment of Israel is bringing us more peace. Perhaps if the Arabs accepted it, they would have a better life too.
Israel should ask itself why it needs the most sophisticted army, A- bombs, gas masks and bomb shelters for their population. Is the fear agains attacks the result of its politics or only due to the bad neighbours? Is perhaps the permant land theft, the killing of the Palestinians, the destruction of their houses, the cutting of the palestinian olive groves creating the fear of the oppressed? Peace will never come, if Israel is not changing their politic
Rather it's called ensuring that a country's citizens are prepared which is a better response to crying stupidly aka Sinora (Lebanese) style or crying foul when you look for trouble and don't prepare options for your citizens aka Hamas in Gaza style
till when you think your population can go on living like this? Shouldn't you try to apologize for the past 60 years of hell you've given the Palestinians and maybe hope for forgiveness?