Israel has one of the most advanced nuclear weapons programs. David Ben Gurion, Israel's first prime minister, clandestinely established the program in the late 1950s to meet the perceived existential threat to the nascent state. The program is allegedly centered at the Negev Nuclear Research Center, outside the town of Dimona. Based on estimates of the plutonium production capacity of the Dimona reactor, Israel has approximately 100-200 advanced nuclear explosive devices. Officially, Israel has declared that it will not be the first to introduce nuclear weapons in the Middle East and remains a non-signatory to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Israel's possession of nuclear weapons and its policy of ‘nuclear ambiguity’ have led to increased tensions in Middle East peace discussions and arms control negotiations. However, Israeli officials continue to assert that they will address disarmament only after a comprehensive Middle East peace is obtained. More recently, Israel’s government has expressed an active interest in civilian nuclear power generation and in early 2007, taking a page a from the U.S.-India nuclear deal, Israeli officials lobbied their American counterparts to convince the NSG to allow Israel to conduct nuclear trade without being subjected to full-scope safeguards. The request although denied, does indicate a possible future direction in Israel’s nuclear thinking, and it remains to be seen how Israel moves forward on its plans for civilian nuclear power generation.
See Israel Nuclear Profile
Israel's neighboring states allege that Israel has an offensive biological weapons (BW) program, but there are no reliable sources on specific biological agents the Israelis may possess. Reportedly, Israeli specialized military units sabotaged water wells with typhoid and dysentery bacteria in Acre (near Haifa), Palestine during the 1948 war, but evidence of such events is fragmentary. Speculation that the program is located at the Israel Institute of Biological Research (IIBR) in Ness Ziona has raised both international and domestic concerns. Activists within the Israeli community have recently protested the expansion of the Institute due to reports, denied by Israeli officials, of multiple injuries and deaths within the facility and one near-evacuation of the surrounding area. Israel is not a signatory to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC). In 2001, Israel's foreign and defense ministries reassessed policy with regard to the BWC, but no change in approach has yet been made public.
See Israel Biological Weapons Profile
While there are allegations that Israel has an advanced chemical weapons (CW) program, no confirmed evidence of production or stockpiling exists. Some reports have suggested an offensive CW program is located at the Israel Institute for Biological Research in Nes Ziona. In October 1992, an El Al airliner carrying a cargo of approximately 50 gallons of dimethyl methylphosphonate (a widely used simulant for defensive research but also a possible precursor of sarin nerve agent) destined for the Institute crashed in Amsterdam. Israel stated that this material was being imported to test gas masks. Israel has signed but not ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
See Israel Chemical Weapons Profile
Israel's missile program began in the 1960s. Israel has a varied missile industry, having developed ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as missile defense systems and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The Jericho ballistic missile series was initiated in the 1960s with French assistance, beginning with the 500km short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) Jericho-1. In the 1970s, Israel developed the intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) Jericho-2, a two-stage, solid-fueled missile with a range of 1,500km. Purportedly, Israel is also developing an extended version of its Jericho-2 missile, dubbed Jericho-3 with a range possibly between 4000 and 6500km. Besides offensive missile systems, Israel maintains an active research and development effort in missile defense. It is presently in the development phase of a three layered missile defense, with a system designed to address threats in the range of 40km, from 40-200km, and those above 200km. The already operational Arrow missile defense system is to complement this proposed architecture. Israel also has an active space launch program based on the Shavit. Israel is not a member of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), though it abides by its guidelines.
See Israel Missile Profile
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Updated October 2008 |
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