The Wilson Institute Reveals how Israel Developed its First Nuclear Device
Rafael and IMOD were responsible for the development of the device, which commando unit Sayeret Matkal and the IAF were supposed to carry to a designated location in Sinai for detonation. A special interview reveals the development process of Israel's first nuclear device
Ami Rojkes Dombe
| 05/06/2017
מאת http://www.flickr.com/people/69061470@N05 - http://www.flickr.com/photos/government_press_office/7185954147/, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22807323
In a rare revelation, Dr. Avner Cohen publishes an interview he held with Brig. Gen. (res.) Yitzhak (Yatza) Yaakov who oversaw weapons development for the Israeli military.
In the interview, Yaakov reveals the conduct of the political and military leadership regarding the development of the first nuclear device of the State of Israel in 1965-1967.
The interview includes the names of individuals associated with the plan, as well as the role of Sayeret Matkal in the planning of an operation to detonate the nuclear device in Sinai in 1967 – an operation that did not take place since the Egyptians end up not launching missiles at Israel.
While based on a single source (Yaakov) – thus requiring cross-referencing with other sources, the interview sheds light on the troublesome conduct of the establishment revolving the development of Israel's doomsday weapon.
According to Brig. Gen. (res.) Yaakov, the Israeli plan was code-named Shimshon, or Samson, after the biblical hero of immense strength. Israel’s nuclear deterrence strategy has long been called the “Samson option” because Samson brought down the roof of a Philistine temple, killing his enemies and himself. Brig. Gen. (res.) Yaakov said he feared that if Israel, as a last resort, went ahead with the demonstration nuclear blast in Egyptian territory, it could have killed him and his commando team.
"The goal," Brig. Gen. (res.) Yaakov says, "was to create a new situation on the ground, a situation which would force the great powers to intervene, or a situation which would force the Egyptians to stop and say, ‘Wait a minute, we didn’t prepare for that.’ The objective was to change the picture."
For the complete interview:
Rafael and IMOD were responsible for the development of the device, which commando unit Sayeret Matkal and the IAF were supposed to carry to a designated location in Sinai for detonation. A special interview reveals the development process of Israel's first nuclear device
מאת http://www.flickr.com/people/69061470@N05 - http://www.flickr.com/photos/government_press_office/7185954147/, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22807323
In a rare revelation, Dr. Avner Cohen publishes an interview he held with Brig. Gen. (res.) Yitzhak (Yatza) Yaakov who oversaw weapons development for the Israeli military.
In the interview, Yaakov reveals the conduct of the political and military leadership regarding the development of the first nuclear device of the State of Israel in 1965-1967.
The interview includes the names of individuals associated with the plan, as well as the role of Sayeret Matkal in the planning of an operation to detonate the nuclear device in Sinai in 1967 – an operation that did not take place since the Egyptians end up not launching missiles at Israel.
While based on a single source (Yaakov) – thus requiring cross-referencing with other sources, the interview sheds light on the troublesome conduct of the establishment revolving the development of Israel's doomsday weapon.
According to Brig. Gen. (res.) Yaakov, the Israeli plan was code-named Shimshon, or Samson, after the biblical hero of immense strength. Israel’s nuclear deterrence strategy has long been called the “Samson option” because Samson brought down the roof of a Philistine temple, killing his enemies and himself. Brig. Gen. (res.) Yaakov said he feared that if Israel, as a last resort, went ahead with the demonstration nuclear blast in Egyptian territory, it could have killed him and his commando team.
"The goal," Brig. Gen. (res.) Yaakov says, "was to create a new situation on the ground, a situation which would force the great powers to intervene, or a situation which would force the Egyptians to stop and say, ‘Wait a minute, we didn’t prepare for that.’ The objective was to change the picture."
For the complete interview:
