- 1956 Suez Crisis – Israel helps UK and France – joint invasion initiated by Israel.
- 1957 – France agrees to help build Israel nukes – kept secret.
- Near the Israeli city of Dimona – gets a plutonium-based facility.
- Dimona – a city 90 km south of Jerusalem.
- 1960 – US intelligence discovers the facility.
- Israel’s response – no nukes – just for peaceful purposes.
- But Israel doesn’t allow or resist entry of US-backed nuclear inspectors.
- 1967 – 6-day Arab Israel war – Israel – but felt future might be difficult.
- The country needed massive deterrent.
- 1968 – Israel developed its first nuclear weapon.
- Post the 1967 war, Israel and US came on a platform on Israel’s nukes.
- Israel decided to adopt of an ambiguous policy.
- Of neither accepting nor denying having nukes.
- 1973 Arab Israel war – surprise attack by Egypt and Syria.
- Israel was unprepared. Arab forces were advancing rapidly initially.
- kept several nuclear warheads as a last resort.
- But finally won the war with US assistance.
- The Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center.
