The Worst-Kept Secret

Israel's Bargain with the Bomb

Avner Cohen

• Publisher: Columbia University Press
• Year: 2010
• Topic: History
• eBook ISBN:
  9780231510264
• Subtopic: Middle Eastern History
• Index: History

Israel has made a unique contribution to the nuclear age. It has created a special "bargain" with the bomb. Israel is the only nuclear-armed state that does not acknowledge its possession of the bomb, even though its existence is a common knowledge throughout the world. It only says that it will not be the first to introduce nuclear weapons to the Middle East.

The bomb is Israel's collective ineffable—the nation's last great taboo. This bargain has a name: in Hebrew, it is called amimut, or opacity. By adhering to the bargain, which was born in a secret deal between Richard Nixon and Golda Meir, Israel has created a code of nuclear conduct that encompasses both governmental policy and societal behavior. The bargain has deemphasized the salience of nuclear weapons, yet it is incompatible with the norms and values of a liberal democracy. It relies on secrecy, violates the public right to know, and undermines the norm of public accountability and oversight, among other offenses. It is also incompatible with emerging international nuclear norms.

Author of the critically acclaimed Israel and the Bomb, Avner Cohen offers a bold and original study of this politically explosive subject. Along with a fair appraisal of the bargain's strategic merits, Cohen critiques its undemocratic flaws. Arguing that the bargain has become increasingly anachronistic, he calls for a reform in line with domestic democratic values as well as current international nuclear norms. Most ironic, he believes Iran is imitating Israeli amimut. Cohen concludes with fresh perspectives on Iran, Israel, and the effort toward global disarmament.

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Dedication
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Abbreviations
• Chapter One - The Birth of Amimut
• Chapter Two - The Case for Amimut
• Chapter Three - Israel’s Nuclear Path The Key Decisions
• Chapter Four - The Infrastructure of Amimut
• Chapter Five - The Citizenry The Taboo Keepers
• Chapter Six - The Democratic Cost of Amimut The Impact on the Citizenry
• Chapter Seven - The Democratic Cost of Amimut Governance
• Chapter Eight - Domestic Reforms
• Chapter Nine - Iran, the Fissile Materials Cutoff Treaty (FMCT), and Beyond
• Chapter Ten - Toward a New Bargain
• Epilogue
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Index
• Copyright Page