In a May 21 report, titled "Nuclear doublespeak", the DECCAN HERALD reported that for some time now there have not only been five nuclear powers - the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China but a sixth, Israel. It pointed out that in 1973 Israel became the first country in West Asia to prepare to mount a nuclear attack. This happened during the October Arab-Israeli war, the first launched by the Arabs against the Jewish state. At the time Israel threatened to use its nuclear arsenal if the US failed to supply it with enough conventional weapons to defeat its opponents. This was done and Israel stood down its missiles primed with nuclear warheads.
It has been known since the late sixties that Israel had a nuclear arsenal but that was not materially confirmed until February 1980 when a US Vella Satellite recorded a double flash, characteristic of a nuclear explosion, as it was passing over the sea round South Africa. And at that time the two pariah states, Israel and South Africa, were cooperating on military matters, including the development of nuclear armaments. Neither Israel nor South Africa offered an explanation for that double flash over the sea. Although testing was confirmed, ambiguity reigned thereafter.
Then, in 1986, the Israeli nuclear technician Mordechai Vanunu confirmed, from his direct observation as well as through photographs, that Israel had been manufacturing nuclear weapons at its Dimona plant in the southern Negev for many years.
Although these revelations led to his near-permanent imprisonment, there was not a word of official condemnation of Israel from any of the five declared nuclear powers, simply because Israel has refused to confirm Vanunu`s information. This is in stark contrast to the harsh condemnations against India because India confirmed that it has been testing nuclear weapons.
Israel has never admitted that it not only has the bomb but almost certainly possesses a couple of hundred nuclear weapons. And this ambiguity through silence on Israel`s part has paid off, because the world, has not condemned Israel for acquiring the ultimate weapon. Something it did through deception in order to terrorise its immediate neighbours and intimidate other Arab nations in the region.
Why did Israel get away with weapons development, testing and deployment in spite of illegally occupying Arab lands and refusing to obey numerous UN resolutions pertaining to Palestine, while India is now in the dock? And why are there no US sanctions against Israel but there are against India and Pakistan?
South Asian Voice is edited by M. Kaul, A. Khadalia and S. Thadani
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