Democrats urge Rubio to acknowledge Israel possesses nuclear weapons amid Iran war
Letter from House Democrats to secretary of state calls for end to ambiguity over Israel’s nuclear weapons programs
TL;DR
- 30 House Democrats sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio asking him to publicly state that Israel possesses nuclear weapons.
- The Democrats argue that the U.S. cannot collaborate with Israel on military action against Iran's nuclear program without acknowledging Israel's own nuclear arsenal.
- They noted that Congress has a constitutional responsibility to be fully informed about the nuclear balance in the Middle East.
- Israel has never officially acknowledged its nuclear weapons program, and no U.S. administration has publicly confirmed it, despite evidence.
- The letter referenced past statements by Israeli officials, including the heritage minister and former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, that alluded to Israel's nuclear capabilities.
- The Democrats also pointed to testimony from former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, who mentioned Israel as a nuclear power surrounding Iran.
- They expressed frustration with the Trump administration's reticence, citing an instance where an official could not detail Israel's nuclear capabilities in a congressional hearing.
- The lawmakers stated that the U.S. openly acknowledges the nuclear programs of other nations and asked that Israel be held to the same standard.
- Continued ambiguity over Israel's nuclear weapons harms nonproliferation efforts in the Middle East, as seen with Saudi Arabia's potential pursuit of nuclear weapons if Iran develops them.