The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy

368 Pages·1991·32.5 MB·English

by  Seymour M. Hersh

TRE
SAMSON
OPTION
THE
SAMSON
OPTION
Israel's Nuclear Arsenal
and American Foreign Policy
Seymour M. Hersh
Random House New York
Copyright® 1991 by Seymour M. Hersh
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions.
Published in the United States by Random House, Inc., New York, and
simultaneously in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto.
Library of Congress Card Catalogue Number: 91-52678
ISBN 0-394-57006-5
Manufactured in the United States of America
98765432
First Edition
For Elizabeth, Matthew, Melissa, and joshua

Autbo. .· s Note
This is a book about how Israel became a nuclear power in
secret. It also tells how that secret was shared, sanctioned, and,
at times, willfully ignored by the top political and military offi
cials of the United States since the Eisenhower years.
In it, you will find many senior American officials being
quoted-most of them for the first time-about what they
knew and when they knew it. These officials spoke to me not
because of animosity toward the Israeli government, but be
cause they realized the hypocrisy of the American policy of
publicly pretending that Israel's nuclear arsenal does not exist.
That policy remains in effect as this is written.
I chose not to go to Israel while doing research for this book.
For one thing, those Israelis who were willing to talk to me
were far more accessible and open when interviewed in Wash
ington, New York, or, in some cases, Europe. Furthermore,
Israel subjects all journalists, domestic and foreign, to censor
ship. Under Israeli rules, all material produced by journalists
in Israel must be submitted to military censors, who have the
right to make changes and deletions if they perceive a threat to
Israeli national security. I could not, for obvious reasons, sub
mit to Israeli censorship. Those in the past who have broken
the rules have been refused reentry to Israel.
Those Israelis who talked were not critics of Israel's nuclear
capability, nor would they feel secure without the bomb. They
spoke because they believe that a full and open discussion of
the Israeli nuclear arsenal-and of the consequences of its de
ployment-is essential in a democratic society.
SEYMOUR M. HERSH
August l!J!Jl
Washington, D. C.

Contents
Author's Note lX
1. A Secret Agreement 3
2. The Scientist 19
3. The French Connection 33
4. First Knowledge 47
5. Internal Wars 59
6. Going Public 71
7. Dual Loyalty 83
8. A Presidential Struggle 93
9. Years of Pressure 117
10. The Samson Option 129
11. Playing the Game 143
12. The Ambassador 159
13. An Israeli Decision 173
14. A Presidential Gift 183
15. The Tunnel 195
xii CONTENTS
16. Prelude to War 209
17. Nuclear Blackmail 225
18. Injustice 241
19. The Carter Malaise 259
20. An Israeli Test 271
21. Israel's Nuclear Spy 285
22. An Israeli Asset 307
Epilogue 317
Acknowledgments 321
Notes 323
Index 335