The Mixed Blessing of Israel's Nuclear Policy

Overview

Zeev Maoz, a visiting scholar at the University of Michigan, challenges the widespread belief that Israel's policy of nuclear ambiguity has deterred an all-out Arab attack for more than thirty years. He credits instead Israel's strategy of conventional deterrence and the increasing willingness of Israeli leaders since the 1973 Yom Kippur War to engage in diplomacy. In addition, Maoz claims that Israel's policy of nuclear ambiguity has had two negative side effects: First, it has accelerated the conventional arms race in the Middle East and sparked a regional nonconventional arms race. Second, the "regime of secrecy" that surrounds Israel's nuclear policy has prevented open debate regarding its effectiveness. Maoz proposes that Israel disband its nuclear weapons program and join with other countries in the region to establish a nuclear-weapons-free zone.