Introduction

This chapter discusses the numerous hypotheses, discount those theories that are apparently fanciful, acknowledge the more credible ideas, and attempt to synthesize them into a single history. The United States must be able to anticipate what Israel might do with its fission arms in a scenario and make appropriate contingency plans. The Israelis desire the security that obtains from a nuclear deterrent, but they refuse to acknowledge its existence, rightly fearing that a confession might provoke world condemnation and invite international sanctions. In a June 1981 interview with The New York Times, Moshe Dayan, former Israeli defense and foreign minister, reiterated President Ephraim Katzir's denial that his country possesses atomic arms. Israel, through numerous high-ranking officials, has acknowledged only that it has "the capacity to produce" atomic arms, but stops short of admitting that it has actually constructed nuclear weapon. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.