House Democrats demand Trump confirm existence of Israel’s nuclear arsenal

Thirty House Democrats sign letter to the State Department calling on the Trump administration to officially recognize Israel’s nuclear program and atomic arsenal, ending decades of ambiguity.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

A group of 30 House Democrats is calling on the Trump administration to end what they described as decades of official ambiguity over Israel’s nuclear capabilities, arguing that Congress needs clearer information as the United States fights alongside Israel in the war against Iran.

Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, led the May 4 letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, asking the State Department to disclose what nuclear weapons capability Israel may have, what delivery systems it may field and whether Israel has communicated any nuclear doctrine or thresholds for use during the current conflict.

“We are, in the fullest sense, fighting this war side by side with a country whose potential nuclear weapons program the United States government officially refuses to acknowledge,” the lawmakers wrote.

The lawmakers said the conflict with Iran has “nuclear dimensions,” citing the involvement or proximity of several nuclear-armed states, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, China and Pakistan. They also noted that Iranian missiles have targeted Israel’s nuclear facility at Dimona.

“Congress has a constitutional responsibility to be fully informed about the nuclear balance in the Middle East, the risk of escalation by any party to this conflict, and the administration’s planning and contingencies for such scenarios,” they wrote. “We do not believe we have received that information.”

The lawmakers asked Rubio to answer 11 questions by May 18, including whether Israel has given assurances that nuclear weapons will not be used, whether the administration has assessed scenarios that could lead Israel to consider nuclear use, and what risks US citizens and personnel could face from further strikes on Israeli nuclear sites.

They also asked the State Department to explain what restrictions prevented Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and Nonproliferation Thomas DiNanno from answering Castro’s question about Israel’s nuclear capabilities during a March 25 hearing.

The letter cites public reporting, declassified US intelligence and past statements by officials as evidence that Israel may possess nuclear weapons.

The lawmakers argued that US silence on Israel’s nuclear status undermines American nonproliferation policy toward Iran and Saudi Arabia.

“We cannot develop coherent nonproliferation policy for the Middle East, including with respect to Iran’s civil nuclear program and Saudi Arabia’s civil nuclear ambitions, while maintaining a policy of official silence about the nuclear weapons capabilities of one party central to the ongoing conflict in which the United States is a direct participant,” they wrote.

The signatories include Castro, Reps. Sara Jacobs, Greg Casar, Mark Pocan, Jim McGovern, Pramila Jayapal, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ro Khanna, Ayanna Pressley and Bonnie Watson Coleman.