When Self Defence is a Provocation

Today we hear that Defence Minister Ehud Barak has decided against distributing gas masks despite intelligence warnings of Syria's stockpiling of bio weapons and its possession of missiles capable of exploding viruses over Israeli cities.

Barak feels that this precautionary distribution may be viewed as a hostile act or a preparation for war.

And this is the Syria that Mr Olmert plans to make peace with???

That Israel is not prepared for the onslaught being planned by the panoply of Iranian terror proxies was made clear last summer as 25% of the country cowered under a hail of missiles.

Now the government announces that it not prepared to make the preparations.
Lest they be viewed as a provocation.

Since when was self-defence a provocation?

And if such a lunatic theory holds water in the sphere of diplomacy, let the citizens have their masks and leave the government geniuses to fend for themselves.