The Worst-Kept Secret: Israel's Bargain with the Bomb
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Israel has made a unique contribution to the nuclear age—it has created (with the tacit support of the United States) a special "bargain" with its bomb. Israel is the only nuclear-armed state that keeps its bomb invisible, unacknowledged, opaque. It will only say that it will not be the first to introduce nuclear weapons to the Middle East. The bomb is Israel's collective ineffable—the nation's last taboo. This bargain has a name: in Hebrew, it is called amimut, or opacity. By adhering to the bargain, which was born in a secret deal between Richard Nixon and Golda Meir, Israel creates a code of nuclear conduct that encompasses both governmental policy and societal behavior. The bargain lowers the salience of Israel's nuclear weapons, yet it also remains incompatible with the norms and values of liberal democracy. It relies on secrecy and opacity. It infringes on the public right to know and negates the notion of public accountability and oversight, among other offenses.Author of the critically acclaimed Israel and the Bomb, Avner Cohen offers a bold and original study of this politically explosive subject. Along with a fair appraisal of the bargain's strategic merits, Cohen provides a critique of its antidemocratic faults. Arguing that the bargain has become increasingly anachronistic, he calls for a reform in line with domestic democratic values as well as current international nuclear norms. Most important, he believes the old methods will prove inadequate in dealing with a nuclear Iran. Cohen concludes with fresh perspectives on Iran, Israel, and the effort toward global disarmament. The New York Times - Ethan Bronner Unlike most critics of Israel's nuclear policy Mr. Cohen supports its decision to build and maintain the bomb. But he says that refusing to acknowledge this arsenal or foster internal discussion about it is now counterproductive…Agree or not—and Mr. Cohen acknowledges that a vast majority in Israel considers opacity a success—this exploration of the issues is thoughtful, measured and deep, and very much worthy of wide consideration.
PrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Amimut as a National Nuclear BargainAbbreviations1 The Birth of Amimut 12 The Case for Amimut 343 Israel's Nuclear Path: The Key Decisions 564 The Infrastructure of Amimut 885 The Citizenry: The Taboo Keepers 1216 The Democratic Cost of Amimut: The Impact on the Citizenry 1477 The Democratic Cost of Amimut: Governance 1718 Domestic Reforms 2039 Iran, the Fissile Materials Cutoff Treaty (FMCT), and Beyond 21410 Toward a New Bargain 241Epilogue 259Notes 265Bibliography 333Index 357
