Research Analyst Shawn Rostker spoke with Le Devoir about the taboo surrounding the Israeli nuclear program. The original article is in French.
“It’s an open secret that Israel has nuclear weapons, even though [its leaders] have never officially confirmed or denied it,” says Shawn Rostker, an analyst at the Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation, a nonprofit organization based in Washington.
…
The United States was reportedly not directly informed at that time of Israel’s nuclear ambitions—made public in 1986 by whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu, a nuclear technician from Dimona who was later kidnapped by the Mossad and imprisoned for 18 years.
“But there is evidence that the Americans were aware of the program and chose not to challenge it directly,” says Rostker.
…
With dozens of nuclear warheads, Israel is believed to be the second-smallest nuclear power after North Korea. “Its arsenal is relatively small compared to other nuclear-armed countries,” Rostker notes. “The United States and Russia have several thousand, and China has about 600.” Read more
