US Government Documents Acknowledge Illegal Israeli Nuclear Weapons
Yet Arms Deliveries Continue in Contravention of US Law
Drop Site News reports: “A set of classified US intelligence documents purporting to show information about Israel’s plans to strike in Iran have been confirmed as authentic in a report by CNN.
“Drop Site News has also been reviewing these documents since they were posted on a pro-Axis of Resistance Telegram channel on October 17. The documents are labeled top secret and only to be shared by Five Eyes intelligence partners. The nature and motivations of the leak are as yet unknown, while the US government claims to be conducting an internal investigation.” (For some analysis of the docs, whether they are authentic and what they mean, see here and here. Kevin Gosztola relates it to War Powers, Scott Ritter thinks Iran has nuclear weapons.)
In terms of what can be done, however, key is that Drop Site News then notes: “The documents … make reference to Israel’s unacknowledged nuclear program.”
Aside from the docs possible effect regarding the anticipated Israeli attack on Iran, this creates a major opening since both the US and Israeli governments have refused to acknowledge the existence of Israel’s nuclear weapons arsenal.
Earlier this year, Veterans For Peace wrote an in-depth letter to the administration which began: “The nation of Israel possesses a large nuclear weapons program. It is illegal under international law for Israel to have them. Because Israel has nuclear weapons and has tested them in the past, they have also violated US federal law– 22 USC § 2799aa-1– and are completely disqualified from receiving any military aid and related assistance from the United States. The US President has no lawful discretion whatsoever to allow any military assistance of any form to be delivered to Israel. Existing military assistance arrangements must be immediately curtailed” [emphasis mine]. The letter excellently breaks down Israel’s violations of the Arms Export Control Act and the Symington-Glenn Amendments.
It also highlights the sitting Israel prime minister’s role in the affair: “In the 1980’s, before he was Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu allegedly was directly involved in an Israeli international smuggling ring that illegally acquired 800 nuclear weapons triggers from a US firm.” See PDF of the 11-page letter.
Terry Lodge, Veterans for Peace human rights counsel, is the long-time lawyer involved in peace and justice issues who drafted the letter for the group. He tells me there’s been no response from Biden, Blinken or any other member of the administration. The letter ends with a threat of litigation.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s last piece published in The Guardian, from New Year’s Eve 2020, just before Biden took office, admonished the incoming president on exactly this issue: “Joe Biden should end the US pretence over Israel’s ‘secret’ nuclear weapons: The cover-up has to stop – and with it, the huge sums in aid for a country with oppressive policies towards Palestinians.”
Several years ago, Grant Smith of the Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy, wrote to members of The Squad and others critical of Israel: “I believe your coalition has far more influence on the matter of foreign aid than it may realize. In 2016 and 2017 we sued the administration(s) over violations of the Arms Export Control Act, but did not prevail for lack of standing. Your coalition does not have such issues.” Grant specifically cited Symington & Glenn provisions of the Arms Export Control Act.
In 2021, Smith told me: “But no member of Congress has taken up this issue — or even mentioned Israel’s nuclear weapons arsenal.”
This is outrageous.
In 2022, I emailed dozens of congressional staffers at 15 congressional offices, including those who have been most vocal in their criticism of aspects of Israeli and US government policies: Senators Bernie Sanders and Rand Paul as well as Congresspeople Cori Bush, Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna, Barbara Lee, Thomas Massie, Betty McCollum, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Nancy Pelosi, Mark Pocan, Jan Schakowsky and Rashida Tlaib.
None would acknowledge that Israel has nuclear weapons. See the article I wrote for the Capitol Hill Citizen: “The Ostrich Caucus: Why won’t members of Congress just say it: Israel has nukes?”
This should now be a pointed legal tool for the movement to stop Israel’s genocide to block aid to Israel.
What is remarkable is that no member of Congress who is allegedly critical of Israel has even acknowledged that Israel has nuclear weapons, much less taken up the cause to cut off funding as some might expect. This is especially critical since Smith’s efforts ran into a wall, not on the merits, but on the issue of standing.
The dynamic of members of congress being vocal on an issue, but not taking the legal steps necessary to effect meaningful change, is similar to the legal remedy of impeachment, the subject of my last article.
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