Alarm by Defective Air-Raid Siren Sends Israelis Running for Shelter

A faulty siren signaled “air attack” in Jerusalem today, sending Israelis scurrying into bomb shelters less than 24 hours after the government decided to distribute gas masks to the public.

It took half an hour before radio announcers broke into regular programs to calm hundreds of anxious callers with the news that the siren system went off by accident.

Israel announced Monday it will start distributing gas masks to its 4.7 million citizens. The announcement followed repeated threats by Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to attack the Jewish state with chemical weapons.

An army spokesman, Brig. Gen. Nachman Shai, noted today that the siren system breaks down occasionally. But Jerusalem Mayor Teddy Kollek said the false alarm came at the worst possible time.

“What was especially unpleasant was . . . this occurred with the announcement to distribute the masks. It is clear that everyone was nervous,” Kollek said on Israel radio.

Worried Israelis bombarded talk shows today with questions on how and when they would get their masks, and daily papers carried spreads on use of the protective equipment.

The gas-mask announcement also brought a nervous reaction from abroad.

Companies from Sweden, Finland, Switzerland and Denmark canceled charter flights to Israel, state-run radio said.

Visitors from those countries make up 40% of winter tourists in the resort city of Eilat.