A group of 30 House Democrats has demanded that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio disclose details of Israel’s alleged nuclear weapons arsenal.
“We cannot develop a coherent nonproliferation policy for the Middle East,” they wrote in a letter dated Monday, “including with respect to Iran’s civil nuclear program and Saudi Arabia’s civil nuclear ambitions, while maintaining a policy of official silence about the nuclear weapons capabilities of one party central to the ongoing conflict in which the United States is a direct participant.”
“We ask that you hold Israel to the same standard of transparency that the United States expects from any other country that may be pursuing or retaining nuclear weapons capability,” said the group, led by Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro.
Israel does not confirm or deny having atomic weapons, maintaining a policy of official ambiguity on the issue, as both Democratic and Republican presidents have also done over the decades, with Monday’s letter expected to be ignored.
The Democratic representatives argued in the letter that Congress “has a constitutional responsibility to be fully informed about the nuclear balance in the Middle East, the risk of escalation by any party to this conflict, and the administration’s planning and contingencies for such scenarios. We do not believe we have received that information.”
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They asked for details on Israeli warheads and launchers, enrichment capabilities, what the US has been told about Israeli doctrine and red lines as well as what is produced at the Dimona nuclear reactor. The facility at Dimona, a southern city targeted by Iran in the recent war, is said to be the home of Israel’s alleged nuclear weapons program.
“The United States openly acknowledges the nuclear weapons programs of the United Kingdom, France, India, Pakistan, Russia, China and North Korea,” they wrote. “We ask that Israel be held to the same standard as any other foreign country, and that the United States government speaks candidly about its potential nuclear weapons capabilities, whatever they may be.”
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
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