Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)


2000 Israel Special Weapons News



  • ISRAEL, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE DAILY PRESS BRIEFING, 29 August 2000 -- Israeli Defense Ministry Officials Visit to Department of State to Discuss Arms Exporting Agreement / Expectations of the Visit / Sale of Military Technology
  • How long can nuclear ambiguity last? By Ze'ev Schiff Haaretz Thursday, August 24, 2000 - Editorial-It's unlikely that Israel's nuclear policy could remain ambiguous forever, and it's naive to think that a shift to a policy of nuclear declaration will result from newspaper reports. Even if thousands of reports and "revelations" accumulate still they shouldn't determine the official policy.
  • Israel’s nuclear reactor on the World Wide Web IsraelWire Thursday, August 17, 2000 - Israel’s nuclear reactor near Dimona was seen on the Internet Tuesday night, depicting pictures of the facility to the outside world for the first time on the Federation of American Scientists website.
  • Israel TV shows photos of nuclear reactor 08/15/2000 - Israel"s state-run television on Tuesday broadcast satellite photos of the reactor near Dimona, in the Negev desert, taken in 1968 and 1971, and appearing on the Federation of American Scientists Web site.
  • Obsessive secrecy undermines democracy By Reuven Pedatzur Ha'aretz. Tuesday, August 8, 2000 -- Cohen published "Israel and the Bomb" in the United States, and a Hebrew translation of the book has appeared here. In the eyes of the defense establishment, Cohen has committed a double sin.
  • Necessary Ambiguity Haaretz 07 August 2000 - Critique of Yirmiyahu Yovel's Book Review of Avner Cohens "Israel and the bomb".
  • Fighting to preserve the tattered veil of secrecy By Ronen Bergman The publication of Dr. Avner Cohen's book and of the Vanunu trial transcripts set off alarm bells for the Defense Ministry's chief of security, who is striving to protect the traditional opacity regarding Israel's nuclear affairs.
  • Blast, from the past to the present By Yirmiyahu Yovel Ha'aretz. 28 July 2000 -- If, in the context of the peace agreements and talks with the United States, Israel were to confirm its nuclear capability - while committing itself to no nuclear testing and pledging to build its defense system on conventional weapons as in the past - maybe then it might achieve at least de facto recognition, if not international legitimacy, for its nuclear weaponry, to be used only as a "last resort" and a tool for safeguarding peace after Israel withdraws.
  • Israel Makes Nuclear Waves With Submarine Missile Test By Uzi Mahnaimi and Matthew Campbell London Sunday Times June 18, 2000 -- While the Israelis' intention of using the German submarines as roving nuclear launch platforms had long been suspected, few experts had expected them to develop the capability to fire submarine-based cruise missiles so soon.
  • Fears Of New Arms Race As Israel Tests Cruise Missiles By Uzi Mahnaimi and Peter Conradi London Sunday Times June 18, 2000 - Israel has test-fired cruise missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. The tests, involving two German-built Dolphin-class submarines, took place last month off Sri Lanka. The Israeli-made missiles, which were equipped with conventional warheads, hit targets at sea at a range of about 930 miles.
  • EDITORIAL The Egyptian Gazette Wednesday, 24 May, 2000 - The latest conference on nuclear non-proliferation has agreed to dispatch an envoy to Israel, whose job will be to look into the question of that country's nuclear capability.
  • U-S/ISRAEL NUKES Voice of America 05 May 2000 -- Arab nations led by Egypt are once again putting pressure on Israel over its refusal to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
  • Israeli missile test too close for U.S. Navy cruiser's comfort By Amnon Barzilai Ha'aretz Wednesday, May 3, 2000 - According to the Federation of American Scientists, test firings of the missile at ranges in excess of 1300 kilometers have been conducted in South Africa.
  • Pentagon Questions Israeli Missile Test Near Navy By Thomas E. Ricks, Washington Post May 2, 2000 Pg. 19 -- This was the third time they have conducted a "no-notice" missile launch in the vicinity of a U.S. warship in the past two years. John Pike said he thought the missile shot near an American ship likely was an accident that resulted from a failure to communicate. "I cannot imagine why they would have done that intentionally," he said. "It strikes me instead as extraordinarily careless."
  • ISRAEL / NUCLEAR Voice of America 25 April 2000 -- Israel says it will continue to maintain a stance of "deliberate ambiguity" over claims that it has a secret arsenal of nuclear weapons.
  • “Nuclear testing” was an Israeli test of car bombs IsraelWire 10 March 2000 -- The tests that were conducted a year ago were dealing with the ability of buildings to withstand car-bombing attacks.
  • THE KNESSET'S NUCLEAR FARCE by Gerald M. Steinberg Jerusalem Post 18 February 2000 -- The short "discussion" on Israel's nuclear deterrence policy, that took place in the Knesset on February 2, was a farce. Instead of debating the relative strengths and weaknesses of this policy, and soberly considering the alternatives, the participants showed that they lack the maturity necessary to hold a serious discussion on fundamental security issues.
  • Sunday Times: Close Dimona nuclear facility IsraelWire 07 February 2000 -- Professor Uzi Eben, a former senior official in Israel’s nuclear program, is calling for the immediate closure of the facility.
  • Nuclear debate leads to shouting match in the Knesset IsraelWire 03 February 2000 -- The Arab MK called upon the government to come clean regarding the number of warheads and then dismantle them in compliance with the nonproliferation treaty.
  • ISRAEL / NUKES Voice of America 02 February 2000 -- The Israeli Parliament, in an unprecedented debate, discussed Israel's nuclear weapons capabilities during a stormy session that escalated into a shouting match between Jewish and Arab legislators.