Israel as ‘The Unchallenged Nuclear Proliferator

Israel as ‘The Unchallenged Nuclear Proliferator

INTRO BY GLOBAL AFFAIRS via The Liberty Beacon

In an email sent to US Democratic party donor Jeffrey Leeds on Tuesday, March 3, 2015, former US Secretary of State and four-star general Colin Powell revealed information regarding the Israeli nuclear arsenal estimated at 200 weapons. The email was obtained by the hacking group DCLeaks and published on LobeLog, a foreign policy blog. Discussing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s March 2015 speech to Congress about the dangers posed by the Iranian nuclear deal, in an email he sent to Leeds, Powell wrote that he doubted the Iranian regime would use an atomic bomb even if it could get one, since “the boys in Tehran know Israel has 200 [nuclear warheads], all targeted on Tehran, and we have thousands.”

DOCUMENT: Powell’s leaked Email obtained by the hacking group DCLeaks and published on LobeLog (Source: SCRIBD)

For reasons that are yet to be provided by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Israel has been permitted to advance its nuclear program largely with assistance from France, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Norway. Meanwhile, media coverage of the ongoing nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran, facilitated by Oman, tends to overlook the evident double standards at play. On one side, the United States and Israel demand that Iran dismantle its nuclear program, which would significantly diminish its deterrent capabilities. Conversely, there is no expectation for Israel to subject its relatively well-known nuclear weapons program to inspections by IAEA or to sign the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). A 2014 report from the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists indicates that Israel is estimated to have between 80 and 400 nuclear weapons, with the authors of the report suggesting that the actual number is nearer to 80. Powell’s email significantly increased that estimate, more than doubling it. Given his background as a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, his assertion of 200 nuclear weapons has been regarded as more credible than the estimates provided by news media reports.

Table 1. Israeli nuclear forces, 2014

During his speech at the Nobel Peace Prize Forum on Wednesday, Dec 11, 2024, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, spoke about tensions between Iran and Israel and referred to what he called “a nuclear weapons dimension,” and stated:

“On one side, the assumed presence of nuclear weapons looms in the background”, Grossi said of Israel. “On the other hand, the very real potential of nuclear proliferation is raising the stakes”

VIDEO: Excerpt from the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi’s speech at the Nobel Peace Prize Forum 2024: NUKES – How to counter the threat (Source: Nobel Prize)

Israel’s nuclear program has contravened international law for decades, which should have disqualified the Hebrew State from receiving American support. But here we are… The influence of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is probably a key factor in why the United States and the IAEA have not compelled Israel to disclose details about its nuclear weapons program, a subject on which CNN’s Wolf Blitzer possesses considerable knowledge. Prior to his role in cable news, he served as a prominent propagandist for AIPAC. He remarked that:

“A widely held attitude among Israeli officials is that Israel can get away with the most outrageous things. There is a notion among many Israelis that their American counterparts are not too bright, that they can be ‘handled.”

The US and Iran’s constructive first round of nuclear talks appeared set to move from the Middle East to Rome, according to an Italian source and others. However, early Tuesday, Iran confirmed that the next meeting would again be held in Oman. The next meeting will follow a visit by Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency to Iran, scheduled for Wednesday, 16th April—Grossi will meet with Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and President Masoud Pezeshkian. This certainly presents a significant opportunity for Iran to once more address the issue of the double standards surrounding Israel’s Nuclear Weapon Program…

IMAGE: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu draws a red line on an illustration describing Iran’s ability to create a nuclear weapon, as he addresses the UN General Assembly, September 2012. (Source: REUTERS)

Clive Williams’s analysis for the Australian Institute of International Affairs…

Nuclear Double Standards in the Middle East 

Israel has the world’s eighth-largest nuclear arsenal. US and Australian support has allowed Israel to avoid being held accountable for its nuclear weapons program.

For decades, US presidents have pledged not to talk about Israel’s nuclear arsenal despite pushing for non-proliferation in the region and tight containment of Iran’s ongoing nuclear research program. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif claimed earlier that year [2021] that Israel was carrying out a major expansion of its Dimona nuclear facility and accused Western leaders and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of hypocrisy for targeting Iran’s nuclear program but ignoring Israel’s. Unlike Iran, Israel is not a member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) nor has it allowed IAEA inspectors to visit its nuclear weapon sites.

Israel has consistently denied having “introduced” nuclear weapons into the Middle East and has maintained a policy of nuclear ambiguity. This policy dates back to 1969, when US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger noted that Israel was allowed to buy US Phantom aircraft on condition that Israel “not to be the first to introduce nuclear weapons into the Near East.” Israel semantically interpreted “introduce” to mean that Israel could possess nuclear weapons if it did not test, deploy, or make them public. This continues to be Israel’s policy.

In 1986, Israeli nuclear technician Mordechai Vanunu revealed details of Israel’s nuclear weapons program to the British media, undermining Israel’s ‘ambiguity’ position. Vanunu was subsequently abducted from Italy by Mossad and taken back to Israel, where he spent 18 years in prison, including more than 11 years in solitary confinement. He has since been jailed twice for breaching the terms of his parole, under which he is not allowed to talk to journalists or try to leave Israel.

The weapons-grade fissile material stocks in Israel are assumed to have originated from two sources. The first is through French assistance in the 1960s to establish the Negev Nuclear Research Centre near Dimona. Second, 300 kilograms of weapons-grade uranium were supposedly obtained in the late 1960s from a US naval propulsion reactor fuel fabrication plant.

The Soreq Nuclear Research Center in central Israel is also fuelled by uranium. IAEA inspectors are permitted to visit the site, but Israel is unable to import more highly enriched uranium to fuel the reactor because of its non-membership of the NPT.

The Washington-based Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation states that Israel is widely believed to possess 90 plutonium-based nuclear warheads and enough plutonium for 100-200 weapons. In 2016, former US Secretary of State Colin Powell reportedly assessed the Israeli arsenal at 200 nuclear weapons.

Having nuclear warheads is of little military or strategic value unless the keeper has the means to deliver them. Carnegie Moscow Center analysis suggests that the Israel Defense Forces currently possesses a nuclear triad of delivery systems based on tactical aircraft, mobile surface-to-surface missile systems, and diesel-electric submarines. Israel has several US aircraft types that could deliver a nuclear gravity bomb at a distance of up to 1,650 kilometres, and possibly further with aerial refuelling or aircraft modification.  Israel is estimated to have about 30 aircraft-deliverable nuclear bombs.

Israel’s ballistic missiles are the Jericho II, with a range of 1,500-1,800 kilometres, and the Jericho III, with an estimated range of over 4,000 kilometres. The Iranian Natanz nuclear facility is 1,800 kilometres from Israel and the Fordow fuel enrichment plant about 2,000. As of January 2018, Israel was estimated to have up to 80 mobile launchers for its Jericho II and Jericho III missiles and about 50 nuclear warheads for these missiles.

The naval component of Israel’s nuclear triad consists of six German-made Dolphin-class diesel-electric submarines armed with cruise missiles capable of carrying either conventional or nuclear warheads. An estimated 30-40 nuclear weapons have been allocated to the submarines, with a possible missile delivery range of up to 1,500 kilometres.

Despite the 2020 Abraham Accords between Israel and four Arab states, Arab states remain committed to the Middle East becoming a nuclear weapons-free zone – a position which of course is intended to keep pressure on Israel to give up its nuclear weapons. In a more objective world, Israel would be made to account for its covert program, and at least encouraged to join the NPT and allow IAEA inspectors to visit all of its nuclear sites. But that’s not going to happen as long as the US and other Western countries, including Australia, are prepared to turn a blind eye to Israel’s nuclear arsenal. In 2016, the US and Israeli governments signed their third 10-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on military aid, covering FY2019 to FY2028. Under the terms of the MOU, the US pledged to provide – subject to Congressional appropriation – another $49 billion AUD in military aid to Israel.

The US Foreign Assistance Act and Arms Export Control Act actually prohibit US economic and military assistance to nuclear proliferators and countries that acquire nuclear weapons. However, a US president can override that prohibition in the US national interest. So far – mainly for US domestic political reasons – no US president has been prepared to prohibit US economic and military aid to Israel.

_________

(SOURCE)

Header featured image (edited) credit: Org. post content. Emphasis added by (TLB)

••••

••••

Stay tuned to …

••••

The Liberty Beacon Project is now expanding at a near exponential rate, and for this we are grateful and excited! But we must also be practical. For 7 years we have not asked for any donations, and have built this project with our own funds as we grew. We are now experiencing ever increasing growing pains due to the large number of websites and projects we represent. So we have just installed donation buttons on our websites and ask that you consider this when you visit them. Nothing is too small. We thank you for all your support and your considerations … (TLB)

••••

Comment Policy: As a privately owned web site, we reserve the right to remove comments that contain spam, advertising, vulgarity, threats of violence, racism, or personal/abusive attacks on other users. This also applies to trolling, the use of more than one alias, or just intentional mischief. Enforcement of this policy is at the discretion of this websites administrators. Repeat offenders may be blocked or permanently banned without prior warning.

••••

Disclaimer: TLB websites contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available to our readers under the provisions of “fair use” in an effort to advance a better understanding of political, health, economic and social issues. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving it for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than “fair use” you must request permission from the copyright owner.

••••

Disclaimer: The information and opinions shared are for informational purposes only including, but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material are not intended as medical advice or instruction. Nothing mentioned is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.