2 January 2004
Ha’aretz reports that following Libya’s repudiation of WMD the Israeli government is considering ratification of the Chemical Weapons Convention. A major factor driving the Israeli discussion is concern that Israel will come under direct pressure to ratify the CWC. Ratifying the CWC before being obliged to is seen as serving Israel’s diplomatic interests. There is also ongoing concern on the part of Israeli manufacturers and importers that increasingly tight restrictions on trade in chemicals will begin to have a negative effect on the economy. Ratification of the CWC is seen as the means of avoiding any such problems. It is claimed that Israel has no interest in chemical weapons and probably does not have an active offensive chemical weapons program.
--Aluf Benn, “Israel readies to join regional WMD clean-up after Libyan, Iranian moves,” Ha’aretz, 2 January 2004, <http://www.haaretz.com>.

31 January 2004
Mr. David Kay, the former head of the Iraq Survey Group (ISG), says that Iraqi chemical protection suits were intended to protect Iraqi soldiers against Israeli chemical attacks, rather than Iraqi chemical attacks.
--"Whodunnit?" Economist, 31 January 2004.

22 April 2004
An anti-terrorism technology center is established by the Yissum Research Development Company of the Hebrew University, which envisions that the center will become a world leader in developing anti-terrorism warfare technology, especially relating to chemical and biological anti-terrorism. Hebrew University has received around $10 million annually from US government agencies in grants for infrastructure and applied research.
--Batya Feldman, “Hebrew U. company sets up anti-terror technology unit,” Globes, 22 April 2004, <http://globes.co.il/>.

May 2004
The Director-General of the OPCW, H.E. Mr. Rogelio Pfirter, has "bilateral contacts with representatives of . . . Israel based in The Hague." These meetings are conducted as part of efforts to expand the membership of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
--Note By The Director-General: Information On The Implementation Of The Action Plan For The Universality Of The Chemical Weapons Convention S/431/2004, Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, 24 June 2004, p. 2, <http://www.opcw.org/docs/s431_2004.pdf>.

5-7 May 2004
Israeli representatives attend a workshop in Malta jointly organized by the Maltese government and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) aimed at promoting universal adherence to the Chemical Weapons Convention. Israel has not yet ratified the CWC which it signed in 1993.
--Chemical Disarmament Quarterly, Vol. 2, No. 2 (June 2004), p. 24.

11 September 2004
In Riyadh, a training program of the Saudi CWC National Authority takes place. Responding to questions from journalists after officially opening the exercise, Saudi Assistant Under-Secretary for Political Affairs Prince Turki Bin Muhammad Bin Sa'ud al-Kabir says that Saudi Arabia is free from WMD and calls on the international community to pressure Israel to respect obligations set out under the CWC.
--The CBW Conventions Bulletin, No. 66 (December 2004), p. 42.

11 October 2004
At the 59th session of the First Committee of the UN General Assembly, Israel issues a statement citing concern over WMD proliferation and the limited effectiveness of traditional mechanisms to ensure compliance and verification, particularly in the Middle East. Israel supports in international nonproliferation efforts and supports UN Security Council Resolution 1540, but also emphasizes that individual states must strengthen international decisions with corresponding domestic actions. Israel has done so by adopting a new Export and Import Control Order, in March 2004, which will strengthen regulation controls over chemical, biological and nuclear materials.
--Statement of the Delegation of Israel to the First Committee – UNGA – 59th session, 11 October 2004, <http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/1com/1com04/
statements/Israel.PDF>.

29 November - 2 December 2004
The OPCW hosts the Ninth Session of the Conference of the States Parties. Israel attends and participates as an observer.
--The CBW Conventions Bulletin, No. 66 (December 2004), p. 14.

9 to 11 January 2005
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and civilian first responders conduct a joint exercise in Israel's south that simulates a terrorist attack using chemical or biological agents to create mass casualties.
--Amir Rapaport, "Syringes against non-conventional weapons to be distributed to policemen," Tel Aviv Ma'ariv (in Hebrew), 12 January 2005, p. 8, translation provided by Open Source Center as Israel: Policemen To Be Equipped With Antidotes Against Chemical Weapons, 12 January 2005, Open Source Center document GMP20050112000217, <http://www.opensource.gov>.

12 January 2005
Israel's Home Front Command has decided to equip Israeli police officers with special "TA" syringes filled with chemical weapons antidotes. The intention is to limit distribution of the syringes to hundreds of police officers on special patrol duties. Although details of the plan's implementation are being discussed senior police officials have not yet agreed to the Home Front command proposal. The decision is the result of new intelligence pointing to an increased possibility of attacks involving the dispersal of chemical or biological agents "to achieve mass casualties in population centers."
--Amir Rapaport, "Syringes against non-conventional weapons to be distributed to policemen," Tel Aviv Ma'ariv (in Hebrew), 12 January 2005, p. 8, translation provided by Open Source Center as Israel: Policemen To Be Equipped With Antidotes Against Chemical Weapons, 12 January 2005, Open Source Center document GMP20050112000217, <http://www.opensource.gov>.

8 March 2005
In the Hague, a delegation from the Israeli Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense meets with the Director-General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ambassador Rogelio Pfirter. The Israel delegation consists of the Deputy Director General for Strategic Affairs, H.E. Mr Jeremy Issacharoff; the Director of the Arms Control Department, H.E. Mr Alon Bar; the Ambassador of Israel to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, H.E. Mr Eitan Margalit; and Mr Shmuel Limone, a Senior Consultant in the Ministry of Defence of Israel. In the course of their discussions Ambassador Pfirter outlines progress in implementing the Chemical Weapons Convention and stresses the importance of achieving universality, including in the Middle-East. The Israeli delegation discusses the security situation in the region and expresses interest in developments related to the CWC in the Middle East and other regions.
--Delegation of Israel Visits the OPCW, Press release #3, Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, 9 March 2005, <http://www.opcw.org/html/global/press_releases/
2005/PR03_2005.html>.

25 April 2005
In an editorial column published on the website of the Damscus based newspaper Al-Thawrah Muhammad Khayr al-Jamali accuses Israel of possessing "an innumerable number of biological and chemical weapons."
--"Syrian writer criticizes Israeli "lies" over Syrian-Russian missile deal," BBC Worldwide Monitoring, 25 April 2005, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>.

3 June 2005
Israeli security sources claim that Syrian missile tests on 27 May 2005, one of a Scud B with a range of about 300 kilometers and two of the newer Scud D type with a range of some 700 kilometers, involved missiles adapted with the cooperation of North Korea to deliver air-burst chemical weapons. All the missiles were launched from northern Syria, near Minakh, north of Aleppo, the Israeli officials said. One was sent about 250 miles to southernmost Syria, near the Jordanian border. Another missile was fired southwest toward the Mediterranean, over the Turkish province of Hatay, the ancient Antioch, and broke up in flight shedding debris over two villages there. Turkish officials indicate that there were no injuries or damage.
--Steven Erlanger and Douglas Jehl, “Syria Test-Fires 3 Scud Missiles, Israelis Say,” New York Times, 3 June 2005, p. A12.

13-15 June 2005
An Israeli representative attends a workshop on the universality of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) in Nicosia, Cyprus. The workshop is jointly organized by the OPCW and the European Union (EU). The EU provides support for the OPCW's activities in the framework of implementing the European Union Strategy against Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction. The workshop in Cyprus is intended to help increase awareness of the Convention among States in the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East, and neighboring regions.
--Chemical Disarmament Quarterly, Vol. 3 No. 2 (June 2005), p. 12.

7-11 November 2005
The OPCW hosts the Tenth Session of the Conference of the States Parties. Israel attends and participates as an observer.
--The Tenth Session of the Conference of the States Parties Concludes, Press Release #71, Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, 11 November 2005,
<http://www.opcw.org/html/global/press_releases/
2005/PR71_2005.html>.

December 2005
The Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI) releases a report describing its understanding, based on open-sources, of Israeli WMD capabilities. The authors conclude that although Israel does not maintain a CW agent stockpile it retains a breakout capability that would draw on Israel’s advanced technological and scientific knowledge combined with a CW knowledgebase built up in the 1950s and 1960s.
--Normark Magnus, et. al., Israel and WMD : Incentives and Capabilities, Stockholm, 2005), <http://www2.foi.se/rapp/foir1734.pdf>.

25 June 2006
The Al-Aqsa Matyr’s Brigade releases a statement in which they claim that they “have managed to produce more than 20 kinds of chemical and biological weapons following a three-year effort.”
--The CBW Conventions Bulletin, No. 72+73 (September 2006), p. 37.

20 October 2006
The Director General of the OPCW, H.E. Ambassador Rogelio Pfirter, delivers a speech to the United Nations General Assembly in which he criticizes a number of countries for refusing to ratify or accede to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). Amongst those singled out for criticism is Israel. Ambassador Pfirter observed that in the cases of Egypt, Israel, Lebanon and Syria “their reticence [to join] is often explained away as an unavoidable consequence of regional tensions or conflicts. Ambassador Pfirter went on to say that “In the end, there is, and can be, no moral or strategic justification for keeping the chemical weapons option open.”
--“OPCW Director-General’s Statement to the 61st Session of the United Nations General Assembly,” Chemical Disarmament Quarterly, Vol. 4, No. 4 (December 2006), p. 10-14.

25-27 October 2006
A government representative from Israel attends the Third OPCW Workshop to Promote the Universality of the Chemical Weapons Convention among States in the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East, and neighboring regions held in Rome, Italy.
--“Rome Workshop on Chemical Weapons Ban in the Middle East,” Chemical Disarmament Quarterly, Vol. 4, No. 4 (December 2006), p. 17-18.

5-8 December 2006
An Israeli representative attends the 11th Session of the Conference of the States Party (CSP) to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) in the Hague as an observer.
[Note: As a state that has neither signed nor acceded to the CWC the Israeli delegate can only attend the open sessions of the CSP].
--C-11/DEC.1: Decision: Attendance by Non-Signatory States at the Eleventh Session of the Conference of the States Parties, Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, 5 December 2006, <http://www.opcw.org/docs/csp/csp11/en/c11dec01.pdf>.

20 March 2007
As part of a nationwide exercise to test the capacity of Israeli agencies to respond in the event of an Iranian attack against its territory Israel conducts a training and preparedness exercise simulating a chemical terrorism attack in the Tel Aviv suburb of Ramat Gan.
--Laurie Copans, “Israel practices for missile, chemical attacks Nationwide drill tests police, army,” Associated Press, 21 March 2007, <http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/
2007/03/21/israel_practices_for_missile_chemical_attacks/>.

9 July 2007
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Home Front Command is reported to only have enough gas masks for 1.5 million adults and half-a-million children, less than half the Israeli population. The Home Front Command is reportedly considering proposals, if the need arises, to make emergency purchases of gas masks from Israeli and American companies.
--Yaakov Katz, “Less than half of Israelis to have working gas masks by end of year. ‘Non -conventional attack would result in major crisis’,” Jerusalem Post, 9 July 2007, p. 3.

16 July 2007
The Israeli Knesset’s Subcommittee on the Home Front's Preparedness releases a report criticizing the Israeli government’s capacity to protect population from chemical or biological weapons attack. The committee report particularly notes that in 2003 “Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz swore to work out a system by which emergency kits would reach citizens in the North in a matter of hours, and citizens in the rest of Israel within two to three days.” The current situation appears to be that defense kits would only reach citizens in the north of Israel 4 to 7 days after a decision was made while the rest of the country might have to wait several weeks. The committee report also notes that the existing protective kits are in poor condition and goes on to urge the immediate spending of NIS 1 to ensure that residents in the North are provided with kits.
--Sheera Claire Frenkel , “Knesset report: Home front not prepared for war. It would take 4-7 days for gas masks to reach North, weeks for the rest of the country,” Jerusalem Post, 17 July 2007, p. 3.

15 August 2007
The Israeli Defense Minister has suspended the planned [re]distribution of gas masks to the Israeli public because of fears the move could be taken by Syria as preparation for imminent war and trigger a pre-emptive attack by Damascus. The Israeli previously collected all previously (c. 1991) distributed gas masks for refurbishing and subsequent redistribution.
--Abraham Rabinovich “Israeli gas mask handout on hold,” The Australian, 15 August 2007, p. 12.

11 September 2007
Israeli Defense Ministry officials announce that despite rising tensions with Syria the Ministry will not begin distributing gas masks to the civilian population. Defense officials explain that there is concern “that if gas masks were distributed the move would be interpreted as Israeli preparations for war and that Syria would as a result decide to attack.”
--Yaakov Katz, “Ministry holds off on gas mask distribution. Fears move could be interpreted as preparation for war,” Jerusalem Post, 11 September 2007, p. 2.

5-9 November 2007
An Israeli delegation attends the 12th Session of the Conference of the States Party (CSP) to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) in the Hague as an observer.
[Note: As a state that has neither signed nor acceded to the CWC the Israeli delegates can only attend the open sessions of the CSP].
--C-12/INF.3/Rev.1: List of Participants to the Twelth Session of the Conference of the States Parties: 5 – 9 November 2007, Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, 9 November 2007, <http://www.opcw.org/docs/csp/csp12/en/c12inf03r1(e).pdf>.

24 March 2008
According to Ynet News a secret report recently distributed to Israeli government ministries and local municipalities details a variety of scenarios that may be expected in the next Israeli war. The report draws on lessons from the 2006 war between Israel and Hizbullah and anticpates missile attacks from Iran, Lebanon and Syria. The base scenario’s envisage 100-230 civilian deaths, and 1,900-3,200 injuries. However, the report goes on to claim that “should Israel be attacked with chemical weapons, the number of killed and wounded Israelis would skyrocket to 16,000.”
--Itamar Eichner “Report: Iranian, Syrian missiles to pound Israel in next war,” Ynet News, 24 March 2008, <http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3522937,00.html>.

6-10 April 2008
The Israeli government "Rahel" (National Emergency Authority) in cooperation with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Home Front Command, local authorities, different governmental offices, security and rescue teams and the educational system conducts a comprehensive national training exercise. The purpose of the exercise is to prepare for various emergency situations, primarily of a war-related nature including scenarios involving attacks against Israel employing chemical weapons. The exercise, which includes a test of the national alert system, is described as the largest such exercise in Israel’s history.
--“National Home Front Training Exercise for Israeli Security and Rescue Forces,” Israel Defense Forces website, accessed 14 April 2008, <http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/Announcements/2008/04/0502.htm>.

	Updated April 2008