Omar Tarqhammen: Notes on the Israeli Nuclear Program

Israel’s nuclear program has been a topic of speculation and secrecy for many years. In line with its general policy in relation to all matters of national defence, Israel never officially acknowledged or denied possessing nuclear weapons.

Virtually all available publicly available information is based on assessments by intelligence agencies, expert analyses, and unofficial sources. It is widely believed that Israel has developed a notable nuclear arsenal. Indeed, these heavily substantiated rumours were directly cited by Iranian authorities, as the reason for its decision to seek to obtain nuclear capabilities for their nation. In one of the most geopolitically unstable regions on Earth, any talk of nuclear programmes leads to enormous consequences and the escalation of tensions. That is then especially the case given that most current estimates state that Israel is in possession of at least 80, and potentially as many as 100 deployable nuclear weapons.

So how did Israel’s journey towards becoming the Middle East’s only fully nuclear-armed state begin?

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Israel took the first concrete steps towards obtaining nuclear capabilities, driven by concerns about its regional security. Israeli leaders, including its Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, perceived nuclear weapons as a deterrent against potential adversaries in the volatile Middle East. This standard argument for nuclear weapons has been employed all over the world and has always been highly contentious. Here, it could hardly be demonstrated itself dubious in a more obvious way, as the first rumours of Israel’s progress towards becoming a nuclear-armed state immediately send shockwaves across its neighbouring adversaries, most often seeing the actions and sometimes even the existence of the state of Israel as a neo-colonial exercise.

The painful theme of colonialism in the region became even more pressing when it transpired that Israel received significant assistance from France in the development of its nuclear program. A secret agreement known as the “Peres-France Agreement” was established between Israel and France in 1957, involving scientific and technological cooperation, including the construction of a nuclear reactor. In the eyes of its neighbours, many victims of France’s colonial exploits and in the context of the Suez standoff, brought the tensions even higher, as the Dimona Nuclear Research Center was being finalised in the Negev Desert.

Israel has maintained a policy of nuclear ambiguity, commonly referred to as the “Israeli nuclear opacity” or “the Samson Option.” This policy involves neither confirming nor denying the existence of its nuclear weapons program. Israel has consistently pursued a stance of strategic ambiguity, which is aimed at preserving deterrence while avoiding regional arms races or international pressure to disarm.

Israel is one of the only four nations worldwide that rejected becoming a signatory to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the multilateral agreement aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons.

The West remains not only silent on Israel’s disregard for the universally endorsed NPT but often continues to go out of its way to support Israel’s nuclear program. This creates an atmosphere of utter distrust between the West and the vast majority of Middle Eastern nations. Even as the West clearly picked its alliances, its wish to keep its status in the region is severely jeopardised by this favouritism. This is especially the case as the USA seeks to re-establish dialogue to lead towards the “New Iran Nuclear Deal.” The US, unfortunately, seems set to remain committed to getting its wishes through the application of illegitimate extreme pressure on the regime, as opposed to building any genuine cooperation.

Composed by Omar Tarqhammen for Denuclearise.com