
Israeli Nuclear History
Documents on the history of Israeli nuclear development. See also the related collections of the Nuclear Proliferation International History Project. (Image, Dimona research center, NARA, RG 59, Records of the Special Assistant to the Secretary of State for Atomic Energy and Outer Space, General Records Relating to Atomic Energy, 1948-62, box 501, Country File Z1.50 Israel f. Reactors 1960)
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May 18, 1961
Memorandum, by L.D. Battle, Executive Secretary, to McGeorge Bundy, Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, 'American Scientists’ Visit to Israel’s Dimona Reactor'
President Kennedy told the new US ambassador to Israel, Walworth Barbour, that he was concerned about Israel’s insistence on a secret visit as well as the "absence of a 'neutral' scientist" in the visit to Dimona. The State Department took the position that it was better to put up with Ben-Gurion’s "sensitivities" about secrecy than "have no visit" at all
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May 26, 1961
Memorandum from Executive Secretary L. D. Battle to McGeorge Bundy, 'U.S. Scientists Visit to Israel’s Nuclear Reactor'
During their visit to Israel (May 17-May 22), AEC scientists Croach and Staebler visited the Weizman Institute, the Technion, the USAEC-funded swimming pool experimental reactor at Soreq, and finally the Dimona complex then under construction. When Croach and Staebler met with State Department officials on their return, they said that they were "satisfied" that the reactor was "of the scope and peaceful character" claimed by Israeli officials.
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May 30, 1961
Memorandum of Conversation, 'President Kennedy, Prime Minister Ben-Gurion, Ambassador Avraham Harman of Israel, Myer Feldman of the White House Staff, and Philips Talbot, Assistant Secretary, Near East and South Asian Affairs'
US memorandum of conversation of Prime Minister Ben-Gurion and President Kennedy's discussion in New York.
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June 16, 1961
Department of State Memorandum of Conversation, 'The Dimona Reactor'
The State Department made plans to brief Arab governments on the US visit to Dimona, but Deputy Assistant Secretary Armin Meyer asked Ambassador Harman if his government would be willing to work with US representatives at the IAEA Board of Governors meeting to make an announcement of the visit to Dimona and also to undertake quiet discussions at the meeting about a possible neutral visit to Dimona. Harman, however, objected to an IAEA role in the Dimona matter until the rest of the world had accepted the idea of inspections and he wanted Washington to coordinate any visit by neutral scientists.
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October 05, 1961
National Intelligence Estimate, NIE 35-61, 'The Outlook for Israel'
National Intelligence Estimate on Israel concluded that "Israel may have decided to undertake a nuclear weapons program. At a minimum, we believe it has decided to develop its nuclear facilities in such a way as to put it into a position to develop nuclear weapons promptly should it decide to do."
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November 15, 1961
Letter, Howard Furnas, Office of Special Assistant to Secretary of State for Atomic Energy and Outer Space, to Dwight Ink, Atomic Energy Commission
Furnas writes about Department of State concerns that Israel may pursue a nuclear weapons program once the Dimona reactor is in operation.