Israel's defense minister, in an apparent allusion to Syria, says that no country in the world would "dare" to attack the Jewish state with chemical weapons.

Ehud Barak told Israel Radio on Monday that he's so sure that an attack won't happen that he's willing to turn in his government-issued gas mask.

Last week, Syria threatened to unleash chemical and biological weapons if it faces a foreign attack - a threat widely believed to have been directed at Israel.

Israeli leaders, including Barak, have indicated they would attack Syrian arms depots to keep anti-Israel militants from getting their hands on chemical weapons should the Syrian regime collapse.