Iran, Israel and Nukes

In the current war started by Israel to eliminate Iran’s perceived nuclear threat, one question that should precede any discussion on the subject is “Why in the world, is Israel so secretive about its nuclear program and, according to the Federation of American Scientists, its estimated 90 nuclear warhead arsenal?” 

Right, why is Israel hypocritically objecting to Iran getting nuclear weapons too, while that country as never acknowledged that it has nuclear weapons? My sense is that Netanyahu needs to always be fighting a war in order to stay in power and evade prosecution, and this at US taxpayers’ expense. Just like a biker needs to keep on pedaling to stand on their bicycle. 

Some say that Israel’s implied nuclear capability acts as a last-resort deterrent against existential threats from hostile neighbors. By neither confirming nor denying its arsenal, Israel hopes to avoid escalating regional arms races while signaling it could retaliate catastrophically if attacked. Openly declaring nukes might incentivize its adversaries to strike first or justify their own programs. 

Ambiguity keeps enemies guessing. Of course, Israel never signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), avoiding inspections or obligations to disarm. This lets it maintain capability without legal scrutiny. Then, there is a host of hypocrisy, beginning with the US that tolerates Israel’s ambiguity (despite non-proliferation norms) because it aligns with shared interests in Middle East stability. 

Acknowledgment would force Washington to legally sanction Israel under the Symington Amendment (banning aid to nuclear proliferators). It’s clear that without complicity from other US allies that pretend not to know that Israel has a significant nuclear arsenal deliverable via missiles, subs, or aircraft this charade is seen as a means to avoid diplomatic crises. 

All of this confirms Israel’s hypocrisy, as it condemns Iran’s program while ignoring its own and it makes a mockery of democracy by claiming it values transparency while militarily embracing secrecy. Israel’s nuclear secrecy isn’t just about bombs—it’s a high-stakes game of psychological and geopolitical chess. 

The policy endures because it works (so far) to deter threats without triggering all-out arms races. But as the Middle East changes, so might this theory.