History of Nuclear Energy in Israel
This is a map of the known Israeli nuclear sites as of 2005. As you can see, Israel's nuclear program is up and running with different centers for possible research, refinement, weapons production, and storage.
At the heart of the Israeli nuclear program is the Negev Nuclear Research Center, located in the Negev Desert southern region, about eight miles from the city of Dimona. The construction of this site began in secrecy in 1958 with the help of the French and outside of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The site became active in the early 1960's. Shortly after the United States discovered, and demanded access to inspect the site. The Israelis agreed to inspections but only by United States inspectors, not International Atomic Energy officials and with advance notice. These "sham" investigations, as seen by the rest of the world, yielded no results in terms of weapons. Most of the information on the Negev Nuclear Research Center remains highly classified. To this day, Israel is one of three nations with confirmed nuclear weapons that has not signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Countries that have signed the NPT are committed to working towards stopping the spread of nuclear weapons and their technologies (1). In January 2012, the International Atomic Energy Association decided to shut down the Negev Center due to its potential to be a target in war.
At the heart of the Israeli nuclear program is the Negev Nuclear Research Center, located in the Negev Desert southern region, about eight miles from the city of Dimona. The construction of this site began in secrecy in 1958 with the help of the French and outside of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The site became active in the early 1960's. Shortly after the United States discovered, and demanded access to inspect the site. The Israelis agreed to inspections but only by United States inspectors, not International Atomic Energy officials and with advance notice. These "sham" investigations, as seen by the rest of the world, yielded no results in terms of weapons. Most of the information on the Negev Nuclear Research Center remains highly classified. To this day, Israel is one of three nations with confirmed nuclear weapons that has not signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Countries that have signed the NPT are committed to working towards stopping the spread of nuclear weapons and their technologies (1). In January 2012, the International Atomic Energy Association decided to shut down the Negev Center due to its potential to be a target in war.
Israel and the Bomb
In a recent documentary, a former foreign minister revealed how Israel acquired a nuclear weapon. France helped Israel on its nuclear program in exchange for support in the Suez War. In the mid-1950s, relations between the two countries became much closer because of their shared fear over nationalist movements in North Africa. Israel feared that the rise of Nasser in Egypt would strengthen an already formidable foe, while France faced an Arab uprising in Algeria, one of its last colonies. Their interests converged in 1956 when Israel agreed to team up with France and Britain in a war to punish Nasser for nationalizing the Suez Canal (2). It is currently theorized that Israel has Between 75 to 200 nuclear warheads (3).
(1) Pinkus, Binyamin; Tlamim, Moshe (2002). "Atomic Power to Israel's Rescue: French-Israeli Nuclear Cooperation, 1949–1957". Israel Studies. JSTOR 30246784
(2) Gilmore, Inigo. "Israel Reveals Secrets Of How It Gained Nuclear Bombs." The Telegraph. The Telegraph - London, 23 Dec. 2001. Web. 1 Dec. 2012.
(3) Collina, Tom. "Nuclear Weapons: Who Has What at a Glance." Arms Control Association. Arms Control Association, Nov. 2012. Web. 11 Dec. 2012.
(2) Gilmore, Inigo. "Israel Reveals Secrets Of How It Gained Nuclear Bombs." The Telegraph. The Telegraph - London, 23 Dec. 2001. Web. 1 Dec. 2012.
(3) Collina, Tom. "Nuclear Weapons: Who Has What at a Glance." Arms Control Association. Arms Control Association, Nov. 2012. Web. 11 Dec. 2012.