Does Israel have nuclear capabilities and when and where did it obtain them?

Question

Why is it that The US and the West appeared so certain that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction but in all press reports and discussions as to whether Israel has nuclear weapon capabilities there is always a reluctance to agree that this is the case. So should Israel be subjected to the same pressures as Iran, and if not why not? Does the West have double standards on its Nuclear Proliferation policy or is it simply that the US would not be able to bomb regimes from 4 miles high if they had the capacity to fight back?

Answer 1

Israel has nuclear weapon since about 1965. It obtained it with the help of France.

The reactor building started in 1958, in Dimona (a southern Israeli town) and it is estimated to produce plutonium somewhere round 1962-1964. All this are estimations since Israel never admitted to be possessing such a weapon, and naturally never published the schedule of its manufacturing.
In 1986, however, an Israeli who used to work in the nuclear research center revealed details of the nuclear weapon program to the British press. Since then, although no official admission, some Israeli politicians has practically approved that Israel has nuclear capabilities.

The reasons for the International community being tolerance toward this is:

1. It hasn't much to do about it. Israel has never admitted it has the weapon, due to a policy of deliberate ambiguity. Even if it did - as seen with India, Pakistan and North-Korea, once a country has the weapon there isn't much to do.

2. Israel is a democracy and is supposed to have more sense in using such a weapon. It seems different when the final decision is taken by a single dictator rather than by an elected government.
Saddam Hussein had already used chemical weapon in the Iran-Iraq war. Iran is a religion ruled country, and their leader, Ahmadinejad, called to wipe off Israel.
Needless to say that Israel has never used a non-conventional weapon, and that no Israeli leader has ever doubted another country's right to exist.

3. Geographically, Israel is located within it's enemies. Since nuclear bomb has a very wide influence area, israel will probably use it only as a truly last resort, considering the massive effects of such a weapon on Israel itself.

Of course the whole issue is very political oriented, and many people still believe that the international community has double standards, but this is not my opinion.

Judge for yourself.

Answer 2

Israel does not admit that it has nukes. Israel, Pakistan and India did not sign the non-proliferation treaty.

The got the technology from Russian defectors, American Jews and espionage.

The first public revelation of Israel's nuclear capability (as opposed to development program) came in the London-based Sunday Times on October 5, 1986, which printed information provided by Mordechai Vanunu, formerly employed at the Negev Nuclear Research Center, a facility located in the Negev desert south of Dimona. For publication of state secrets, he was sentenced to 18 years in special prison for treason and espionage. Although there had been much speculation prior to Vanunu's revelations that the Dimona site was creating nuclear weapons, Vanunu's information indicated that Israel had also built thermonuclear weapons.

Answer 3

Israel has had nuclear weapons for over 30 years. Around 1973, enemy forces nearly over-ran Israel, and at that time it was in the world press that Israel had assumed the end was near (the end being the desire since 1948 by their neighbors to kill every last man; woman; and child in Israel) and armed the nukes. It was claimed they had at least 8 at the time. They just had the show of that near loss on public TV last night.

The reason we don't worry about the nukes is because Israel has never once announced it plans to kill every last man woman and child in another country. They have had those weapons for a long time, and their official policy is to use them only for last ditch defense if the end is near.

Iran has said recently it will destroy Israel if it can. I realize you kiddies can't see the difference, which is why you can't vote until you are 18.

No one has ever said where Israel got the nukes. They are smart people, and I am confident they had the capability to make them. Unlike its enemies, Israel is a modern country with high technology. I bet you Jew haters don't know much about Israel, do you?

Answer 4

How can international places who've 1000's of Nuclear warheads and many chemical warfare have the right to disclaim others an analogous proper? Iran is not any threat to anybody, in the experience that they used any nuclear they does no longer very last 60 seconds and they understand it. do not pay interest to the propaganda The Russians hated the individuals, yet did they use Nuclear warheads NO Have the Jews used any on the Arabs. NO.

Answer 5

Israel got nukes the same time we did if Im not mistaken.

WMD's include chemical weapons which Iraq did in fact possess prior to 2003.

Any debate about Israel having nuclear weapons is irrelevant. They already have them! If anybody tried to forcably disarm them they could simply launch a nuclear strike. Israel however has never used one, shown restraint and responsibility with respect to nuclear weapons.

And no we dont want Iran to get nuclear weapons because they have shown in their history to be very anti-west, very fanatical, and constant threats to wipe Israel and the US off the map. To compare Iran to Israel is like comparing Nazi germany to France.

Answer 6

It has been documented that Israel does indeed have nuclear weapons. I can't say where they obtained them, but i could make a good guess. It's probably the same people who support Israel all the time....

Answer 7

Of course they do. It is largely up in the air whether Israel is a puppet of the US, or visa versa. Whatever the case, Israel would not exist if it weren't for the US, and the US has a stronghold in the middle of the middle east

Answer 8

I think they do. They got them a few decades ago. On the double standard thing. At last check Israel's leaders didn't have their finger on the button. If Iran gets them they will have their finger on the button like we did during the Cold War. Hey anyone who had them did that. But unlike the the Cold War the crazy in Iran will shoot it off 3 months after they get it.

Answer 9

Aw come on they aren't friends of the Bushes for nothing. Of course they have nuclear capabilities, they are located in about 500 sites throughout the USA, the Mediterranean and around the world wherever there is a US fleet. When you say Israel didn't you know it is synonymous with the USA? Aw pardon e moi, it is synonymous with the USA but the people of the USA pay for it.

Answer 10

ISrael is responsible with nuclear weapons unlike other countries .