Israel's nuclear program: The origins of the world's worst-kept secret

It is an open secret that has long embarrassed the United States. In the Middle East, a state is developing a nuclear arsenal outside of any control, potentially leading to unstoppable regional proliferation. In 1961, just weeks before John Fitzgerald Kennedy's inauguration as U.S. president, a special American intelligence assessment confirmed the suspicions of the outgoing Eisenhower administration: the Dimona plant in the heart of the Negev desert contains a secret reactor."The production of weapons-grade plutonium is at least one of the major goals of this effort," the report stated.Once informed, the president-elect was troubled by the news. So much so that on the eve of his inauguration, he began a discussion with his predecessor and team on the question: "Which countries are most determined to acquire the atomic...