Camilla Jessen
Long before Iran’s nuclear ambitions became a global concern, Israel successfully misled even its closest ally about building the bomb.
Since Iran’s nuclear ambitions were exposed in 2002, U.S. presidents have maintained a clear stance: Iran must not acquire nuclear weapons.
But decades earlier, Israel quietly built a nuclear arsenal under the radar—deceiving not only international watchdogs but also its closest ally, the United States.
According to The Washington Post, Israel’s successful concealment effort dates back to the 1950s and relied on secrecy, strategic partnerships, and misleading inspections.
The Origins of Israel’s Nuclear Plan
In the mid-1950s, Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, concluded that the young nation needed a nuclear weapon for security against hostile Arab neighbors.
After the 1956 Suez Crisis, France, grateful for Israeli cooperation, helped Israel build the Dimona reactor in the Negev Desert.
Deep underground, hidden from official documents, a plutonium reprocessing plant was planned.
When French officials later raised concerns, Israel offered a deal: help complete the project without international oversight, and Israel would promise not to develop nuclear weapons.
At the same time, Norway supplied heavy water—essential for nuclear reactions—based on Israel’s assurance that the technology would be used only for peaceful purposes.
Misleading U.S. Officials
American intelligence discovered the Dimona facility in the late 1950s.
When asked for clarification, Israeli officials falsely claimed it was a textile plant. When the truth became harder to deny, they said it was a metallurgical research site with no connection to weapons development.
Ben-Gurion publicly acknowledged the plant in 1960, and a 1961 U.S. inspection team concluded that the site lacked the infrastructure for weapons production.
Still, Washington pushed for regular inspections to reassure Arab states that Israel was not pursuing nuclear bombs.
Israel delayed inspections until U.S. President John F. Kennedy issued a direct warning to Israeli Prime Minister Levi Eshkol. Kennedy said continued U.S. support would depend on Israel allowing full access to Dimona.
Hidden Facilities and Deception
Despite Kennedy’s demand for transparency, Israeli officials built false walls around elevators leading to secret sections of the Dimona facility.
During a 1964 inspection, U.S. scientists were shown a fake control room with simulated panels and instruments.
The real reprocessing plant remained hidden below.
According to investigative journalist Seymour Hersh in The Samson Option, Israeli technicians rehearsed in advance to avoid mistakes. The elaborate ruse was so effective that U.S. inspectors reported Israel had no nuclear weapons program.
A Quiet Understanding with Washington
By 1968, the CIA believed Israel had already developed nuclear weapons.
U.S. officials concluded it was too late to stop the program.
President Richard Nixon and Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir reached a secret agreement: Israel would not test or publicly admit to having nuclear weapons, and the U.S. would stop pressuring Israel to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty or allow further inspections.
Suspected Nuclear Test and Today’s Arsenal
In 1979, a U.S. satellite detected a possible nuclear test off the coast of South Africa. U.S. President Jimmy Carter and other officials believed Israel was likely responsible, raising questions about whether the 1969 Nixon-Meir agreement had been violated.
Today, Israel is believed to possess at least 90 nuclear warheads.
These can reportedly be launched by aircraft, ground-based ballistic missiles, and possibly by sea-based cruise missiles, according to the Federation of American Scientists.
