OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, 17 March 2003 — Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said yesterday the threat of an Iraqi attack against the Jewish state was low, but stressed Israel had the support of American troops and would be “ready and prepared” to defend itself.

A day earlier, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said outright that Israel would retaliate if attacked — unlike during the 1991 Gulf War. “Israel will know how to defend itself,” Sharon said, speaking during a tour in northern Israel.

In 1991, Iraq fired 39 Scud missiles at Israel, causing heavy damage but few casualties. During the first Gulf War the United States pressed Israel not to retaliate, fearing that could pull apart the coalition it set up to fight Baghdad which included many Arab states hostile to Israel.

This time, however, President George W. Bush — unlike his father who led the 1991 Gulf War — is not relying on Arab support to achieve his stated goal of disarming and ousting Saddam, and Israel has made clear it will not sit idle if it is again attacked.

“I don’t think there is any other Western country ... that has organized, equipped itself and has taken such steps that we have taken,” Sharon said, but added: “I think that there is a great possibility that it will not be hit.”

Unlike in 1991, Israel now has the Arrow anti-missile system, which was developed jointly with the United States, was successfully tested, and is touted as able to destroy any Scuds far away from Israel’s airspace.

Israel’s military chief, Lt. Gen. Moshe Yaalon, said last week that an Israeli spy satellite had not picked up any sign of Scud missiles in western Iraq — the only area in the country from which Scuds can reach Israel — and that the probability of a missile strike appeared slim.

“In the event that Israel will be attacked, it will retaliate. There are also plans ready for such an incident,” Mofaz said Saturday. When asked if that meant a possible offensive beyond firing the Arrow at the Scuds, Mofaz said, “This includes offensive acts. Unequivocally yes.” He did not elaborate.

Other Israeli officials have said Israel will retaliate in the event of a biological or chemical weapons attack — an event that officials say is highly unlikely.

Meanwhile, Israel sealed off the Palestinian territories amid fears of an attack during the Jewish festival of Purim.

The Israeli army closed the borders with the West Bank and Gaza Strip for the Jewish spring carnival, an army statement said.

A Palestinian security source said that early yesterday the army had turned back more than 10,000 workers from the Gaza Strip who were trying to reach their jobs in Israel. On Saturday, Israeli military authorities also banned Palestinian men aged 15 to 35 from leaving the West Bank and Gaza Strip for an indefinite period.

Palestinian Local Government Minister Saeb Erakat denounced the move as “a new escalation in Israeli’s policy of aggression against the Palestinian people”, adding: “One can expect more repressive measures in the run-up to a war in Iraq.”