Israel on the Path to the Nuclear Samson Option (Brussels Morning)

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Israel is in possession of about 300 nuclear warheads of varying yields and launchable from a variety of platforms. This gives it the option of a devastating second strike.

For decades now, Israel has maintained opacity and ambiguity regarding its nuclear strategy. Twice, in its history, Israel came close to making use of its ever growing arsenal.

Recently, Israel embarked on a massive refurbishing program of its aging thermonuclear weapons, some of which date back to the 1960s and are unsafe.

The world has been led to believe that Israel is committed to a “No First Use” policy and that it would leverage its doomsday pile only when faced with extinction.

Both assumptions are untrue.

Israeli planning calls for the preemptive deployment and use of both tactical and strategic nuclear bombs in case Israel is faced with overwhelming conventional force, such as Iran’s or Hizbullah’s.

When the territorial integrity of the State of Israel or the safety of the majority of its populace are at stake, Israel will most definitely nuke the sources of the menace.

In the wake of the targeted assassination of Ismail Haniyeh on Iranian soil and in view of the imminent acquisition of nuclear bombs by the theocratic, rabidly anti-Israeli regime in Tehran, it would make sense for Israel to strike first, sooner rather than later, and with full force.

The likely targets are the nuclear facilities in Iran and Hizbullah’s strongholds and hinterland in Lebanon.

Israel has got nothing to lose. It is a pariah state, increasingly shunned even by its strongest and only ally, the United States. Having eliminated its foes in a mushroom cloud, it could look forward to years of ostracism, but at least it will survive to see another day.

In hidden chambers, many in the West – and East! – would actually be grateful that the likes of Iran and its proxies are off the map for good. Israel will have done the world a service.