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Middle East

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Israeli Nuclear History

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Ben-Gurion, David

1886- 1973

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Harman, Avraham

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Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald)

1917- 1963

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Rusk, Dean

1909- 1994

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Jones, G. Lewis

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Talbot, Phillips

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Interviews by Avner Cohen

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Date unknown	Undated, unsigned handwritten note, presumably written by Minister Pinchas Sapir to Minister without Portfolio Yisrael Galili Presumably written by Minister Pinchas Sapir to Minister without Portfolio Yisrael Galili, this handwritten and undated note underscores the tension between those in the Israeli leadership who spearheaded the construction of Dimona, led by Shimon Peres and Moshe Dayan, and those who doubted it and its financial feasibility, like Allon and others. Editor's note: Because of the unique provenance of this document, it should be treated as unauthenticated and interpreted skeptically. Readers are strongly encouraged to read the associated essay by Or Rabinowitz.
November 22, 2019	Leonard Weiss, 'My Involvement with the 1979 Vela Satellite (6911) Event' Statement made by Leonard Weiss about his memories of the 1979 VELA Incident.
2019	Elie Geisler, 'The Israeli Nuclear Drama of May 1967: A Personal Testimony' Elie Geisler received training as a radiation-safety officer while serving as a solider at Dimona from 1964 to 1966. As the crisis escalated in late May 1967, Geisler was summoned to meet the head of the Minhal Madaii—the secret scientific administration in charge of the nuclear project—who gave him a special assignment: guarding a radioactive “package” to be placed under heavy security. The following testimony was relayed to Avner Cohen through several interviews and follow-up conversations and email exchanges.
December 27, 1962	Rodger P. Davies to Phillips Talbot, 'Second Inspection of Israel's Dimona Reactor' Summary of second US inspection of Dimona. Although inspectors "were taken to Dimona without advance notification, [and] they had spent only a short time there," they felt that "the visit was satisfacotry in that the AEC technicians could confirm that the reactor is not a power reactor but rather a large research reactor.
October 23, 1962	Department of State Memorandum of Conversation, 'Second U.S. Visit to Dimona Reactor' Results of second US visit to Dimona discussed.
October 22, 1962	State Department Telegram 451 to US Embassy Egypt State Department reports that a second US visit to Dimona reaffirmed previous view that there was no evidence of preparations for nuclear weapons production.
September 18, 1962	William Brubeck, Executive Secretary, to McGeorge Bundy, 'Second Visit by U.S. Scientists to the Dimona Reactor' Memorandum summarizing response to US requests for a second visit to Dimona.
September 14, 1962	Department of State Memorandum of Conversation, 'Proposed Visit of U.S. Scientists to the Dimona Reactor' Delay in response to US request for a second visit to Dimona.
July 11, 1962	State Department Telegram 233 to US Embassy Egypt UAR officials express concern regarding the Israeli nuclear program.
June 22, 1962	Department of State Memorandum of Conversation, 'A Second Visit by U.S. Scientists to Israel’s Dimona Reactor' Ambassador Harman responds favorably to the suggestion of another US visit to Dimona.