Swedish Institute Estimates Israel Has 80 Nuclear Weapons

Ken Hanly, DigitalJournal.com |

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, in a new report, estimates that Israel has around 80 “strategic” level nuclear weapons

Israel has followed a course of what is often called nuclear ambiguity claiming that:

“”It would not be the first country to “introduce” nuclear weapons to the Middle East, leaving ambiguity as to whether it means it will not create, will not disclose, will not make first use of the weapons or possibly some other interpretation of the phrase”.

In spite of strong international pressure, Israel has refused to sign the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, claiming that to do so would be contrary to its national security interests.

A former Israeli nuclear technician Mordechai Vanunu, blew the whistle on the secret Israeli nuclear program. He revealed details of Israel’s nuclear weapons program to British newspapers in 1986. Mossad later lured Vanunu to Italy using an agent. He was drugged and abducted to Israel. In a trial behind closed doors, he was sentenced to 18 years in prison. More than 11 were spent in solitary confinement.

Estimates of the size of the Israeli weapons arsenal vary widely from 75 to almost 400 nuclear warheads. The Stockholm International Peace Research (SIPRI) estimate is at the low end of estimates. SIPRI said that probably 50 of the warheads can be mounted on Jericho II medium range missiles and another thirty could be dropped from airplanes. SIPRI also noted that there could be smaller tactical weapons that were not counted in the arsenal.

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