The book sheds light on a selection of
Prof. Yuval Ne’eman’s studies in the nuclear sphere in its Jewish-Israeli
context. Few people in Israel, or throughout the world, have, in their
lifetimes, succeeded in achieving a career so rich, contributory, diverse and
acclaimed like that of Yuval Ne’eman (1925-2006). Prof. Ne’eman’s extraordinary
resume is interwoven with the life of the State of Israel and with the period
leading to the founding of the State.
The book contains five sections:
The first chapter deals with the
Jewish dimension and the nuclear issue. The emphasis here is on the Jewish
aspect of the initiative that led to the establishment of the “Manhattan
Project” and the development of the nuclear weapon during World War II. Prof.
Ne’eman’s friendship with several of the central figures in that initiative and
with the leaders of the project themselves, along with his general interest in
history, led him to an analysis of the Jewish background from which these
active, energetic personalities emerged. Jewish knowledge, for all intents and
purposes, constituted a foundation for the strategic infrastructures of the
early years of the State of Israel.
The second section focuses on
Israel’s nuclear deterrence. Included in this section is the ambiguity doctrine
that has been maintained by Israeli governments since the 1960s. Establishment
of a research and industrial infrastructure in the nuclear realm was one of the
central tasks of the decade between 1957-1967, a decade that began with the
Sinai Campaign, the creation and tightening of relations with France – and
concluded with the Six-Day War – with a hostile France imposing a weapons
embargo upon the State of Israel. Israel was the first country to adopt a policy
of ambiguity. Alongside the articles discussing the fundamental aspects of
nuclear deterrence – its effectiveness and limitations, this section of the book
also includes articles about the operational context of Israel’s nuclear
deterrence.
The third section deals with Israel
and the Iraqi nuclear program. At the time, this issue had operational
significance of the highest order, as in those days, Prof. Ne’eman held some
public position and he “mobilized” an individual war in which he attempted to
marshal world public opinion to pressure France and cause it to delay (or even
cancel) the sale of the reactor to Iraq. After he was unsuccessful in delaying
the transfer of the reactor to Iraq and the concomitant failure of the Israeli
Foreign Ministry to achieve that objective, the reactor was bombed in a glorious
IDF military operation on June 7, 1981.
The fourth section focuses on the
prevention of nuclear proliferation and terrorism. In this context, Prof.
Ne’eman discusses arrangements to prevent dissemination of nuclear weapons and
the international aspects involved in those arrangements. Nuclear know-how,
nuclear components and perhaps even a nuclear bomb could fall into terrorist
hands. It is therefore imperative to prevent nuclear terrorism, which is perhaps
the most egregious threat against the nations of the world, including the State
of Israel.
The fifth section deals with nuclear
research and development – a glimpse beyond the immediate future. The treatment
of the issue is with an eye to the future. On one hand, the importance of an
alternative energy source on a nuclear basis is raised while on another hand,
the concern of the trickling of nuclear arms potential to countries and
terrorist organizations is also raised.
