Syria now has chemical and biological weapons than can strike Tel Aviv and other major Israeli cities, a recent Israeli intelligence report said. However, Defense Minister Ehud Barak has banned the distribution of gas masks in Israel for fear of upsetting the fragile peace with Syria, Israel Insider reports.

Barak said that the distribution of gas masks might give the impression that Israel was preparing for war with Syria and escalate the tense situation between the two countries. Syria attacked Israel in the 1948, 1967 and 1973 wars, and is a sponsor of terrorism.

The move was heavily criticized by many Israeli government officials, and for good reason. Yuval Steinitz, head of Homefront Preparedness in Israel’s Knesset, argued that it is the Defense Minister’s duty to protect civilians from a possible chemical or biological attack and said failure to do so was an egregious error.

Syria has been stockpiling missiles and launchers in and around the Golan Heights area for months, and is reportedly using Iranian money to purchase sophisticated military equipment from Russia and North Korea. “Military sources said intelligence shows Syria was nearing the end of an accelerated deployment of a large rocket arsenal of Katyusha and Scud missiles, including Scud D and other improved missiles supplied by Iran, that can deliver 500-kilogram payloads to Tel Aviv,” the Jerusalem Post said. Many of these missiles can be outfitted with chemical or biological warheads.

The tension between the two sides is so high that some believe even the distribution of gas masks to civilians could push the region over the edge and into war. Still, Israel’s gamble with its citizens’ lives for the sake of showing Damascus it has no intention of attacking could be reasonably interpreted by its enemies as a sign of weakness—and an opportunity. Israel is in an extraordinarily difficult position.