Latest news with #BenGurion
Reuters
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Israel intercepts missile fired from Yemen
July 22 (Reuters) - Yemen's Houthi militant group said on Tuesday it had launched a ballistic missile at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv. The Israeli military said it had intercepted a missile launched from Yemen following the activation of air raid sirens in multiple regions across the country. The launch from Yemen follows an Israeli military attack on Houthi targets in Yemen's Hodeidah port on Monday in its latest assault on the Iran-backed militants, who have been striking ships bound for Israel and launching missiles against it.
LBCI
24-06-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
Flights to resume without restrictions in Israel after ceasefire: Airport authority
Israel's airport authority said Tuesday that all flights in the country will resume after the country's military lifted restrictions linked to the war with Iran as a fragile ceasefire took hold. "Following the Home Front Command's decision in the last hour regarding the lifting of restrictions, the airports authority announces the return to full activity for the Ben Gurion and Haifa airports," the authority said in a statement. AFP
Hindustan Times
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Israel hammers Iran's nuclear programme but won't admit its own
Israel remains hellbent on stopping Iran from pursuing its ambitious nuclear plans, reaffirming its determination to dismantle the programme with strikes that started on June 13 and have now spiraled into a full-fledged war-like conflict. Satellite photo from Planet Labs Inc. shows construction at the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center near Dimona, Israel, on February 22, 2021. (Planet Labs Inc via AP/File) While Israel calls Tehran's covert pursuit of atomic weapons an existential threat, it parallelly continues its longstanding policy of nuclear ambiguity, a strategy that has raised accusations of double standards from critics in the region and beyond. Follow Israel Iran conflict live updates Israel has never confirmed nor denied possessing nuclear weapons, but for decades it has been widely believed to be the only nuclear-armed nation in the Middle East. Experts, cited in a Reuters report, said this deliberate vagueness for Israel has served as a powerful deterrent without inciting a regional arms race or inviting preemptive strikes. Israel among 5 countries not part of NPT Israel is one of just five countries that have not signed the global nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), freeing it from international obligations to disarm or submit to nuclear inspections. Critics, particularly in Iran, have pointed to this policy as evidence of Western hypocrisy. While Iran's nuclear programme remains under strict international surveillance, and Tehran insists it is for peaceful purposes, Israel's suspected arsenal continues to evade formal scrutiny. On Sunday, the US directly intervened in Israel's campaign, striking three Iranian nuclear sites — Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan – resulting in a sharp escalation in the ongoing confrontation. Israel's nuclear programme: A history of secrecy Israel's nuclear programme is said to have begun in 1958 with the establishment of the Negev Nuclear Research Centre in Dimona under the then Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion. Surrounded by hostile neighbours, Ben Gurion believed nuclear deterrence was essential to Israel's survival. Some historians say the weapons were always intended as a last-resort option. For nearly a decade, the facility's purpose remained concealed. According to a 2022 Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists article, Israel told US officials the Dimona site was merely a textile factory. This file image made from a video aired Jan 7, 2005, by Israeli television station Channel 10, shows what the television station claims is Israel's nuclear facility in the southern Israeli town of Dimona, the first detailed video of the site ever shown to the public. (Channel 10 via AP/File) That article, co-authored by Hans M Kristensen and Matt Korda of the Federation of American Scientists, stated that Israel has possessed the capability to launch nuclear warheads since the early 1970s, relying on plutonium produced at Dimona. Plutonium is a radioactive chemical known for its use in nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons. Israel's carefully guarded nuclear policy took a major hit in 1986 when former Dimona technician Mordechai Vanunu leaked photos and reactor details to The Sunday Times of London. He was later convicted of treason, serving 18 years in prison, and remains barred from leaving Israel or speaking to foreigners, according to the Reuters report. A hidden arsenal Though unacknowledged, Israel is believed to possess between 80 and 200 nuclear warheads, with most estimates leaning toward the lower end of that range. According to the Nuclear Threat Initiative, Israel has stockpiled up to 1,110 kilograms of plutonium—potentially enough to manufacture 277 nuclear weapons. The country operates six submarines, reportedly capable of launching nuclear cruise missiles, and possesses ballistic missiles with ranges up to 6,500 kilometers (4,000 miles). Israeli navy sailors stand atop the submarine "Rahav" upon its arrival at the military port in Haifa, Israel, on Jan. 12, 2016. The INS Rahav is a nuclear-capable, German-built Dolphin-2 class submarine that serves in the Israeli Navy.(AP) All six submarines were supplied by Germany and are stationed in Haifa, according to Kristensen and Korda's research. Middle East on edge In a region rife with conflict and political volatility, nuclear proliferation is particularly dangerous, said Or Rabinowitz, a Hebrew University scholar and visiting associate professor at Stanford. 'When nuclear armed states are at war, the world always takes notice because we don't like it when nuclear arsenals ... are available for decision makers,' Reuters quoted Rabinowitz. Rabinowitz suggested Israel's military leaders might consider deploying nuclear weapons in extreme scenarios—such as a WMD being used against them. This grab taken from UGC images posted on social media on June 23, 2025 shows a plume of smoke billowing after Israeli strikes in Tehran. (AFP) Besides Israel, only India, Pakistan, and South Sudan have not signed the NPT. North Korea withdrew. Iran remains a signatory, but was censured last week by the UN's nuclear watchdog for violations—just a day before Israel launched its offensive. According to Susie Snyder of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, Israel's opacity has allowed it to dodge accountability. 'Its policy has also shined a light on the failure of Western countries to rein in nuclear proliferation in the Middle East,' Snyder said. They 'prefer not to be reminded of their own complicity,' she added. (with inputs from Reuters)
Al Jazeera
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Netanyahu's legacy will not be security – it will be isolation
Since its founding in 1948, Israel's prime ministers have sought to leave legacies that would outlast them — some through war, others through diplomacy, and a few through historic blunders. David Ben-Gurion secured the state's independence and built its foundational institutions. Golda Meir presided over a war that cost her office. Menachem Begin signed peace with Egypt while expanding illegal settlements. Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated for trying to make peace with the Palestinians. Each leader, in some way, left their mark. But none has ruled as long – or as divisively – as Benjamin Netanyahu. And now, more than ever, the question is not just what kind of legacy he wants to leave, but what legacy he is actually creating. In 2016, I argued that the Arab world had effectively crowned Netanyahu 'King of the Middle East' — a title that reflected his success in positioning Israel as a regional power without making any concessions to the Palestinians. Today, I believe he sees an opportunity not only to consolidate that title, but to reshape Israel's regional position permanently — through force, impunity, and a strategy rooted in securitised dominance. Since his first term, Netanyahu has insisted that Israel's security must override all other considerations. In his worldview, a Palestinian state is not merely incompatible with Israel's security; it is an existential threat. Even were such a state to be created, Netanyahu has made clear that Israel must retain what he calls 'security sovereignty' over all of historic Palestine. This has never been mere rhetoric. It has shaped his every major decision, none more so than the current war on Gaza. The assault has levelled entire neighbourhoods, killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, displaced most of its two million people, and created an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe. Israel stands accused by human rights groups and United Nations agencies of committing war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and genocide. It is facing genocide charges, supported by multiple countries, at the International Court of Justice. The International Criminal Court has also issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the use of starvation as a weapon of war. Yet Netanyahu presses on, arguing that Gaza must never again pose a threat to Israel, and that the destruction is necessary to secure the country's future. This logic does not stop at Gaza. He has used similar arguments to justify Israel's attacks on Lebanon, including targeted strikes on Hezbollah figures and the attempted assassination of the group's leader, Hassan Nasrallah. Using the same rationale, Israel has also launched strikes in Yemen and made clear that it will act in Iraq whenever and wherever it deems necessary. The security argument has likewise been used to justify the continued occupation of Syrian territory and is currently invoked to legitimise ongoing attacks on Iran, ostensibly to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons and to degrade its missile and drone capabilities. In every case, the same narrative is repeated: Israel cannot be safe unless its enemies are broken, its deterrence unchallenged, and its dominance undisputed. All dissent, disagreement, or resistance — whether military, political, or even symbolic — is cast as a threat to be eliminated. Even Netanyahu's diplomatic efforts follow this logic. The Abraham Accords, signed with the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco during his premiership, were hailed as peace deals but functioned primarily as instruments of regional alignment that marginalised the Palestinians. For Netanyahu, normalisation is not a path to peace — it is a way to cement Israel's position while avoiding a just resolution to the occupation. What, then, is the legacy Netanyahu seeks? He wants to be remembered as the prime minister who crushed all resistance to occupation, permanently ended the idea of a Palestinian state, and enshrined Israel's dominance in the Middle East through sheer force. In his vision, Israel controls the land, dictates the rules, and answers to no one. But history may remember him differently. What Netanyahu calls security, much of the world increasingly sees as systemic violence. The global response to the war on Gaza — millions marching in protest, international legal action, growing boycotts, and diplomatic downgrades — suggests that under his leadership, Israel is not gaining legitimacy but losing it. Even among its allies, Israel faces growing isolation. While the United States continues to provide diplomatic cover, terms like 'apartheid', 'ethnic cleansing', and 'settler colonialism' are no longer confined to fringe activism. They are entering mainstream political discourse and shaping public consciousness, particularly among younger generations. Many commentators argue that Netanyahu is clinging to power merely to avoid prosecution for corruption or accountability for the failures of the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel. But I believe this analysis misses a deeper truth: that he sees this moment — this war, this absence of accountability — as a historic window of opportunity. In his mind, this is legacy work. The tragedy is that in pursuing this legacy, he may achieve the opposite of what he intends. Not a stronger Israel, but a more isolated one. Not a secure homeland, but a state increasingly seen as a violator of international norms. Not a legacy of strength, but one of moral and political collapse. Netanyahu will be remembered. Today, as Gaza burns and Iran faces strike after strike, there is no longer any doubt about that. The only question is whether his legacy will be one of national security, or one that leaves Israel more alone, more condemned, and more precarious than ever before. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial stance.
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First Post
18-06-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Does Israel have nuclear weapons?
The conflict with Iran is shedding light on Israel's nuclear arsenal – the only nation in West Asia to have such weapons – and a secret programme to unleash them in case it faces extinction. But what do we know about Israel's nuclear arsenal? And what is the Samson Option? read more Israel is widely known to have nuclear weapons, though the details of its arsenal remain scarce. Now, the Israel-Iran conflict is shedding light on Tel Aviv's nuclear arsenal – the only such country in West Asia to have such weapons – and a secret programme to unleash them in case it faces extinction. But what do we know about Israel's nuclear programme? And about the Samson Option? Let's take a closer look: What do we know? Israel has been wanting a nuclear bomb since its founding in 1948. This was a direct result of the Holocaust – and the desire of the Jewish state to be in control of its own destiny. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Read Israel Iran conflict live updates Three men began Israel's pursuit of the bomb – its first Prime Minister Ben Gurion, scientist Ernst David Bergmann and civil servant Shimon Peres (who himself would later become Prime Minister of Israel). It was Ben Gurion who helped establish the reactor at Dimona – where Israel's nuclear weapons program is still widely believed to be located. The French are believed to have assisted Israel in building the nuclear reactor – known as the IRR-2 research reactor at the Negev Nuclear Research Center – which provided the plutonium for its nuclear weapons program. It remains unclear when Israel conducted its first nuclear test. The country is thought to have had nuclear weapons since the 1960s. The country is thought to have built its first nuclear bomb in complete secrecy – lying even to its staunch ally the United States. Israel first claimed that the center was a textiles factory. Afterwards, they claimed it was a civilian research center that did not have chemical reprocessing plant needed to make a nuclear weapon. Israel is believed to have build or tried to build its first crude nuclear devices during the May 1967 crisis – which came before the Six-Day War. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Israel launched strikes against Iran early June 13, hitting its nuclear programme and targeting its long-range missile capabilities. File image/Reuters The US government by 1975 became convinced that Tel Aviv possessed nuclear weapons. Israel has for decades maintained a position of strategic ambiguity when it comes to its nuclear arsenal – known as 'Amimut'. This means it neither confirms nor denies it has one. 'We won't be the first to introduce nuclear weapons into the Middle East', Netanyahu claimed in 2011 – echoing what Peres earlier said – despite all evidence to the contrary. Israeli officials and those in the know are also loathe to talk about the program openly. This is because the Israeli state takes an extremely severe attitude towards whistleblowers. Take the example of Mordechai Vanunu, a former nuclear technician who revealed the secrets of Israel's nuclear program to the world in an interview with the Sunday Times. Vanunu was abducted by the Mossad from a foreign country and forcibly taken back to Israel – where he spent nearly two decades in captivity – eleven of those years in solitary confinement. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Israel remains the only country in West Asia to have nuclear weapons. Estimates about its arsenal greatly vary. Some say it has between 75 and 400 nuclear weapons. Others place that number between 100 and 200. Israel has not signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Nor does it of come under the purview of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The Samson Option Israel also has what it calls the Samson Option. This is a means of last resort if Israel is on the brink of extinction. It is a reference to the Biblical hero Samson, who was endowed with supernatural strength. The story of Samson and Delilah – who beguiled him to reveal the secret of his strength (his hair) only to cut it off in his sleep – is a well-known fable. Samson, now absent of his strength, was taken captive by his enemies, the Philistines, and blinded. Samson, who prayed to God for his strength to return one last time during his time in servitude, then brought down the pillars of the temple of Dagon – causing it to collapse and kill himself and all his enemies. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The term Samson Option itself entered the lexicon after award winning journalist Seymour Hersh wrote a book about 1991. Entitled The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy, the book, for which Hersh consulted with Israeli and US intelligence officials, revealed many important details about Israel's nuclear programme and its strategic doctrine. According to Hersh and Israeli historian Avner Cohen, Ben Gurion, Peres, Levi Ashkol, and Moshe Dayan are said to have come up with this term in the 1960s. Under this option, Israel would launch an all-out nuclear assault on the civilian centers of its non-nuclear rivals – in contravention of international law. 'The Samson Option is not designed to deter a nuclear adversary from a first strike or counter strike—Israel is the only nuclear-armed state in the region. Rather, its purported purpose is to ensure Israel's survival. Under the Samson Option, nuclear weapons would be deliberately used against a non-nuclear adversary as a last resort to prevent an Israeli defeat,' Kelsey Davenport, director of nonproliferation policy at the Arms Control Association, told Progressive Magazine. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from agencies
