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Israel
Country Spotlight
Although Israel has possessed nuclear weapons since the 1960s, it maintains a policy of nuclear opacity, never officially confirming the existence of its nuclear program. Accordingly, Israel has never signed the NPT. Israel manufactures and deploys a diverse range of technologically sophisticated ballistic missile, cruise missile, and missile defense systems.
See Israel's performance in:
Region Middle East and North Africa
90 Estimated nuclear warheads
750–1110 kg Approximate plutonium stockpile, potentially enough for 187-277 nuclear weapons
6 Dolphin-I and Dolphin II-class submarines operated, believed capable of launching nuclear cruise missiles
4,800 – 6,500 km Potential range of the Jericho III intermediate-range ballistic missile
Nuclear
- Believed to possess enough nuclear material to produce up to 300 nuclear weapons
- No declared nuclear weapons tests, but believed to have conducted atmospheric test in cooperation with South Africa in 1979
- Opposes diplomatic efforts to establish a WMD Free Zone in the Middle East
Biological
- Non-membership in BTWC and lack of public commentary has led to speculation of offensive weapons capabilities
- Operates sophisticated biodefense program
- Adopted export controls on biological materials in line with Australia Group standards
Missile
- Domestically produces variety of missiles including sea-launched cruise missiles as well as short and long range ballistic missiles
- Employs a sophisticated multi-layered missile defense system, which includes the Arrow-2, Arrow-3, David’s Sling, and Iron Dome systems
- Considered unilateral adherent to the MTCR restrictions on missile exports
Chemical
- Evidence suggests development of an extensive chemical weapons program in the 1950s
- Likely possesses capability to produce nerve agents, including binary agents
- Maintains active chemical weapons defense program
Treaties and Regimes Memberships
Analysis
on Israel
Overview: Applying New Tools to Nonproliferation: A Nuclear Detective Story
Build Your Own “New Tools” Toolbox: A Guide to Open Source Nuclear Detective Work
Education Center
Extensive resources on nuclear policy, biological threats, radiological security, cyber threats and more.
Sources
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, SIPRI Yearbook 2020: Armaments, Disarmament and International Security, 44th Ed, Oxford University Press, 2020. p 375.
International Panel on Fissile Materials, “Global Fissile Material Report 2022,” July 29, 2022, https://fissilematerials.org.
National Security Council, Memorandum, “Subject: South Atlantic Nuclear Event,” October 22, 1979 (Washington, DC, 1979), p. 1.
Avner Cohen, “Israel and Chemical/Biological Weapons: History, Deterrence, and Arms Control,” The Nonproliferation Review, Fall/Winter 2001, p. 40.
Magnus Normark, Anders Lindblad, Anders Norqvist, Björn Sandström, and Louise Waldenström, “Israel and WMD: Incentives and Capabilities,” (Umeå: FOI — Swedish Defence Research Agency, 2005), pp. 36-40.
Hans Kristensen and Matt Korda, SIPRI Yearbook 2024: World Nuclear Forces Overview, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, January 2024, www.sipri.org.
Eric Wertheim, “Dolphin-Class Submarines: Israel’s Undersea Arsenal,” U.S. Naval Institute, Proceedings, June 2024, www.usni.org.
Missile Defense Project, “Jericho 3,” Missile Threat, Center for Strategic and International Studies, May 12, 2017, https://missilethreat.csis.org.