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You are here: Home / Press Room / Center in the News / What do we know about Israel’s own nuclear weapons?

June 18, 2025

What do we know about Israel’s own nuclear weapons?

Research Analyst Shawn Rostker spoke with Middle East Eye about the history of Israel’s secretive nuclear weapons program.

“Most credible accounts point to France’s role in the late 1950s,” Shawn Rostker, a research analyst at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, told Middle East Eye. 

“It helped build the Dimona reactor, supplied key reactor technology, and backed plutonium reprocessing capabilities, laying the groundwork for Israel’s nuclear progress.”

…

“Israel is a sovereign country and will make decisions based on its own security and interests,” said Rostker.

“That said, a more open approach could help build confidence and reduce nuclear tensions without compromising deterrence.”

Read more

Posted in: Center in the News, Israel, Middle East, Press & In the News on the Middle East, Press Room, Shawn Rostker

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