Evaluating Israel's nuclear nonproliferation policy

Abstract

Thesis Abstract Israel's nuclear nonproliferation policy has been shaped by Israel's threat perceptions, the Israeli worldview, rooted in centuries of Jewish history, the experience of the Holocaust, and the turbulent history of Israel itself. Israel has faced numerous challenges in creating a cogent, effective policy, due in large part to the many anomalies implicit in its history and gee-strategic position. Pursuing nonproliferation, Israel has favoured diplomacy where possible, but has reserved the right to military action when diplomacy is perceived to fail. However, this analysis argues that, especially in the Iranian context, military options are problematic, and possibly counter-productive. In the future, Israel would be well-served in attempting to develop a more holistic understanding of what motivates proliferation in the region. Additionally, in the face of the developing paradigm, Israel may be faced with tough choices in the event that the policy of opaque regional nuclear monopoly becomes untenable.