A Response to Patrick Pexton What about Israel’s nuclear weapons?

Abstract

While Israel has never come forward to confirm that their nuclear weapons exist, it has becomea general understanding among states that they exist. The state has not signed theNon-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and made it clear in the late 1960s that they would not be thefirst state in the Middle East to “introduce” nuclear weapons. However the ambiguity of theiruse of the word has led many to believe that it refers to openly testing and confirming theirpossession. Even though the basic perception supports the existence of Israel’s nuclear weapons,the United States has notably not pushed for them to be officially confirmed. This puts theaverage American worker in a compromising position, leaving them unable to eitheracknowledge these weapons of mass destruction nor criticize them without risking a halt in theirprofessional progression. Although Pexton condemns the systems which have created thisposition, specifically denouncing the media’s lack of comprehensive analysis and coverage ofIsrael’s nuclear weapons, his piece is deficient in giving the reader a thorough detailing ofIsrael's relationship with nuclear weapons. Continuing the confidentiality Israel displays on theissue along with the laissez faire attitude adopted by the United States cannot allow for nuclearbalance to ever be truly achieved or sustained.