Declassified Documents Reveal U.S. Awareness of Israel's Nuclear Ambitions
Recent revelations from the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth highlight that declassified American documents indicate U.S. officials suspected Israel was developing a nuclear reactor as early as the 1960s. This assertion was vehemently denied by then Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion. The documents come to light amid ongoing Western concerns regarding Iran's nuclear ambitions, following statements from International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) head Rafael Grossi, who declared that the nuclear agreement with Iran is effectively defunct, with Iran enriching uranium to military levels.
Historical Context of Israel's Nuclear Program
Among the documents is a pivotal report from December 1960 by the U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee on Atomic Energy, which suggested that the Dimona reactor was intended to produce plutonium for nuclear weapons. This assessment was corroborated by subsequent reports that indicated Israel was nearing the completion of its plutonium extraction facility by 1967. The U.S. intelligence community concluded that Israel was just weeks away from developing a nuclear bomb at that time. The reports reveal a pattern of systematic deception by Israel regarding its nuclear capabilities, as indicated by communications with U.S. officials.
Diplomatic Tensions and Nuclear Policy
The documents also shed light on a secret agreement between U.S. President Richard Nixon and Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir, which allowed Israel to maintain an undeclared nuclear status. Ben-Gurion's public denials of nuclear ambitions were juxtaposed with his private frustrations over U.S. media statements suggesting Israel's lack of transparency. He expressed his indignation to the American ambassador, asserting Israel's moral equality with the U.S. and rejecting any notion of subordination. This historical context is crucial as it underscores the longstanding complexities of U.S.-Israel relations regarding nuclear policy.
