Because though it has since been eclipsed by its bloody sequel, the First Gulf War of 1991 was incredibly influential for the entire Middle East. And that is exactly why this podcast exists: to unpack the numerous, sometimes complicated, always fascinating connections between seemingly random events. And pay close to attention to that, because we’re coming back to it.īut that is exactly what happened. You might not have expected a war between Iraq and Kuwait to affect ordinary Israelis, test the US-Israel relationship, and even challenge the long-held Zionist ethos. The 1991 Gulf War, and its enduring geopolitical legacy. And 36-year-old Noam remains incredibly thankful for the choices that the Israeli government made during that terrible time.Īnd that’s what we’re going to talk about today. Tried to understand the geopolitical trainwreck that made five-year-olds all over Israel believe that gas masks and bomb shelters were just a normal part of life. I’d wager that, and I do not think I am exaggerating, as of 2022, there is not a single Israeli in the country that has not fled to a mamad at least once.īut 36-year-old Noam has seen the footage. I didn’t know that Israeli law mandates that every house built after 1992 includes a mamad. And I definitely didn’t know that mamad, or Merhav Mugan Dirati, referred to a room made of reinforced concrete, with a heavy metal door, where Israelis seek shelter from rockets and missiles. I don’t remember asking why a gas mask existed, or how it helped keep the bad guys away. I don’t fully remember how five-year-old Noam reacted to the gas mask, or to the idea that bad people wanted to hurt my new friend. When we heard the sirens, we would go into our mamad with our masks on and sit there until it was time to come out again.” (BRIAN HENDLER/AFP via Getty Images)įive-year-olds might not know words like “chemical warfare,” but Uri gave us a brief, developmentally-appropriate summary of the mask’s purpose, which in my memory – yes, I have a bizarre memory – went something like this: “The mask helped protect us when bad people wanted to hurt us. Israeli school children wear gas masks during a chemical warfare drill. Its straps dangled uselessly as Uri’s mom held this thing aloft and Uri explained, with a child’s heartbreaking matter-of-factness, that this was his gas mask. It was shiny and black, with huge reflective eyes and a protruding snout that ended in a sealed cap. Twenty kindergarteners sat criss-cross applesauce on the A, B, C’s rug in the center of the room, watching wide-eyed as Uri and his mom presented a strange and menacing object. And his show and tell blew the rest of ours right out of the water. Manufacturing is according to the IDF technical specifications (strictest standards of a protection system).In the spring of 1991, my kindergarten class got a new classmate, Uri, who had just moved to Baltimore from Israel. The mask is provided with an NBC filter, a liquid drinking tube. The mask has a long shelf life, up to 20 years in the original packaging. The mask can also connect to an external air blower via a flexible hose using the appropriate adapters (provided separately per customer requirements) and can be transformed into an active protection system. The mask is manufactured from a rubber mixture that resists the penetration of chemical agents, is lightweight, and allows maximum comfort, effective communication, a large field of view, and the ability to drink fluids while using it. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for understanding. This product is ITAR Restricted, and cannot be shipped out of the United States. Industrial and commercial use: Use for painting, sand, dust, cleaning, smoke, tear gas, and grinding fume protection.High-quality Professional grade material including goggles made from scratch-resistant polycarbonate lens.Fits any standard 40mm Nato Filter (40rd) gas canister.This is a fresh supply with manufacture dates in 2020/2021 Israeli Rubber Respirator Mask covers you in all your gas mask situations, it's foldable and easy to use.
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