Things to Know about Israel's Nuclear Weapon Program

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mocks Iran with nuclear bombs during a speech at the UN in 2012. Photo / REUTERS / Lucas Jackson

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sparked the world by presenting the archived Iranian nuclear bomb-making program. However, the presentation made Tel Aviv so the spotlight of the experts because it also concealed the nuclear weapons program.
Israel has long been believed to have weapons of mass destruction, reportedly developed from 1948-1949. Iran's harsh enemies, Hamas and Lebanese Hizbullah are once called to have 400 nuclear warheads in its arsenal.

The country headed by Netanyahu's prime minister has never been willing to confirm reports on his nuclear weapons program. However, the fact that Mordechai Vanunu, a former worker at the Dimona Israel nuclear reactor, once leaked Tel Aviv's nuclear program in 1986. Since then, Tel Aviv has maintained its policy of "nuclear ambiguity" -never denying or even admitting possession of nuclear weapons.
There are three things to know about Israel's secret nuclear weapons program. Here are the details;

Israel lies about nuclear weapons
In the 1950s and 1960s, the Israeli government under the leadership of Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion reportedly lied to the United States (US) and hindered Washington's request to provide information about weapons development.

Tel Aviv refuses to receive visits from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The Ben-Gurion government at the time concealed a truth from the American nuclear inspector about the Dimona reactor with the claims of only "textile factory" sites and "metallurgical research installations".
"I do not know of any other nation, whose neighbors declare that they want to stop it, and not only declare it, but prepare it in every way available to them We must not have the illusion that what is declared every day in Cairo, Damascus, Iraq is just a word These are the thoughts that guide Arab leaders, "Ben-Gurion said after his resignation as prime minister at the time.

Number of Nuclear Weapons
There has been much speculation about Israel's nuclear weapons possession, but no one really knows exactly how big the armaments are. In 2008, former US President Jimmy Carter estimated that Israel had at least 150 atomic weapons in its arsenal.
"The US has more than 12,000 nuclear weapons; The Soviet Union (Russia) is almost the same; Britain and France have several hundred, and Israel has 150 or more, "Carter said.
In 2014, Carter reconsidered his estimates. "Israel has 300 or more, no one knows exactly how much," he said referring to Israel's stockpile of nuclear weapons.
In a personal email message, written several months before the 2015 Iran nuclear deal was signed, and leaked in September 2016, former US Secretary of State Colin Powell revealed the true number of Israeli nuclear warheads at the time.
"The children in Tehran know Israel has 200, all targeted in Tehran, and we have thousands," Powell's email leaked.
During talks on Iran's nuclear program with six world powers (US, Russia, Britain, France, Germany and China), Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif told reporters at the UN that Israel has about 400 nuclear warheads.