How Israel Developed Nuclear Weapons in Secret | Flashback with Palki Sharma
Firstpost・10 minutes read
Israel secretly developed a nuclear program in the 1950s with help from France, the US, and Norway, ultimately leading to the creation of a nuclear bomb by the late 1960s and being discovered by the US in 1968.
Insights
- The recruitment of scientist Ernst David Bergman by Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion in the early 1950s was pivotal in establishing Israel's nuclear program, showcasing the strategic foresight of Israeli leadership in harnessing scientific expertise for national defense.
- The covert nature of Israel's nuclear program, including strategic acquisitions from France, Norway, and the recruitment of individuals like Arnold Milchin, highlights the intricate and clandestine methods employed by Israel to develop its nuclear capabilities, ultimately leading to the US uncovering Israel's nuclear weapons by 1968.
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Recent questions
How did Israel develop its nuclear program?
Through recruitment of scientists and foreign assistance.
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Summary
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Israel's Secret Nuclear Program Uncovered
- In September 1960, the US ambassador in Israel visited a fertilizer plant in Sodom and spotted an industrial facility in the neev desert, which turned out to be the Demona nuclear facility, Israel's nuclear program site.
- Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, aware of the power of nuclear weapons, recruited scientist Ernst David Bergman to lead Israel's nuclear program in the early 1950s.
- Shimon Peres, not a typical military figure, played a crucial role in enforcing Israel's nuclear program alongside Ben-Gurion and Bergman.
- In 1957, France provided Israel with a plutonium reactor and a reprocessing plant crucial for nuclear fuel recycling, with over 2,500 French workers involved in the top-secret project.
- Despite US inspections in the early 1960s, Israel managed to source key components abroad, with Hollywood producer Arnold Milchin recruited as a spy to aid the program.
- Israel acquired heavy water from Norway for its nuclear program, strategically hiding the reprocessing plant at Demona behind false walls to evade detection during inspections.
- Israel's nuclear bomb was reportedly ready by the late 1960s, with a potential test planned during the Six-Day War in 1967, but ultimately not carried out, leading to the US discovering Israel's nuclear capabilities by 1968.
