| 1974:
US General tells Senate Armed Forces Committee that Israel’s chemical weapons
program is operational.
July
1, 1982: Soviet TASS carries reports from Beirut that Israel is
using chemical weapons including BZ nerve gas.
July
5, 1982: Soviet Union accuses US of providing Israel ‘barbarous’
weapons, including chemical weapons, that Israel uses in invasion of Lebanon.
December
4, 1988: PFLP accuses the Israeli Army of using a new chemical
weapon against Palestinians…causing various wounds and “organic complications”,
cites doctors treating victims in Tobay and Tamoun.
March
– April, 1988: Former mayor of Nablus reports: “Fleets
of helicopters fly over Nablus at night dropping a dense, green toxic gas over
the city..” Doctors at Ittihad Hospital report several deaths and severe
lung injuries from the unidentified asphyxiating chemical, “totally distinct
from tear gas..” UNRWA doctors report symptoms not normally connected with
tear gas. UNRWA seeks information on contents of the gas...to provide antidote...especially
for the most vulnerable groups…pregnant women, the very young and elderly..”
(1)
January
- February, 1989: Israeli officials including Binyamin Netanyahu
partially admit possession of a chemical weapons program.
February
6, 1989: League of Arab States' Committee of Seven condemns use
of chemical weapons against Palestinians.
1990:
US Defense Intelligence Agency states Israel maintains chemical testing facility
possibly in Negev desert.
July,
1990: Israeli Minister of Science: If Iraq uses chemical weapons
Israel will retaliate "with the same merchandise."
October
4, 1992: El Al 747 cargo plane en route from New York to Israel
crashes into Amsterdam apartment building, carrying three of the four chemicals
needed to make sarin nerve gas. Hundreds of Dutch citizens suffer lingering health
problems following exposure. (2) (3) |
