Israel is widely believed to have its own nuclear weapons program, but has an official policy of neither confirming or denying it. It also has a an official policy of aggressive action to ensure that no other nation in the region has nuclear weapons capacity except Israel. Israel is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty along with North Korea, India and Pakistan.
Recently reporters have been hitting the Pentagon with FOIA requests, and the inevitable FOIA lawsuits, for information about the Israeli nuclear weapons program. They have been hitting paydirt:
The 1987 report’s confirmation of Israel’s advanced nuclear weapons program should have immediately triggered a cutoff in all U.S. aid to Israel under the Symington and Glenn Amendments to the US Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. Although 100 copies of the tightly-controlled report were apparently published, none seem to have made their way into the office of the President in time to cut off any of the $82 billion in aid subsequently delivered to Israel – or publicly issue the required waivers. This is done in the case of other countries with weapons programs operating outside the Nuclear Non-Proliferation regime such as Pakistan.
Similarly, the US did not move to curb as required Israel’s weapons-related work using the Soreq reactor, lab and testing facilities – provided by US taxpayers in the late 1950’s under Eisenhower’s Atoms for Peace Program under the provision they not be used for weapons programs.
The report redacted nuclear information about allied nations, as is proper. But it also, if you give a good long read, makes clear that Israel's nuclear weapon capability was advanced and humming along nicely back in 1987. Just imagine where it is today.
More reports about Israel's nuclear program from US government viewpoints are sure to follow as reporters are filing even more FOIA requests and Federal complaints to get a full picture out to the public.
I think, however, that the real question here is why Israel is taking the North Korea approach to its nuclear weapons program. Everyone knows they have them. They have so far been responsible custodians and not used them on anyone (as has North Korea). Why not be open and transparent about it?
Still, no matter. Israel has a right to be secretive about its nukes if it wants. The question for the United States is the continued violation of the Symington Amendment and the Glenn Amendment. Not just with respect to Israel, but India and Pakistan as well. The United States should not provide any form of aid whatsoever to nations that do not submit to IAEA inspections of their nuclear programs. That's the law.
At the very least, these and future releases of classified documents about Israel's nukes should lead to congressional hearings.