Israel to shut down nuclear reactor if war breaks out: Report

Jerusalem: Fearing a possible missile attack on its atomic facility, Israel which has been maintaining nuclear ambiguity, will halt activities at its Dimona reactor if a war breaks out with Iran, a media report has said. The aim of such nuclear stoppage would be to prevent damage to the reactors’ outlying area, should Iranian missiles penetrate the facilities’ defence shields, Ha’aretz reported. A decision to this effect was taken by the Israel Atomic Energy Commission (IAEC), which comes directly under the PMO, in coordination with the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) Home Front Command. [caption id=“attachment_171706” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Israel has maintained a policy of nuclear ambiguity, but as per foreign media reports has about 200 nuclear arsenals in store. Reuters”]  [/caption] Israel has maintained a policy of nuclear ambiguity, neither confirming nor denying nuclear capability, but as per foreign media reports has about 200 nuclear arsenals in store. The working assumption shared by the Home Front Command and the IAEC management officials responsible for the two reactors is that the multilayered defence systems, which feature anti-missile missiles calibrated to intercept missiles at various heights, along with fortified installations, should be sufficiently effective to minimise damage in an attack against the reactors, the report said. However, any defence system can be penetrated in principle so nuclear activity in the reactors will be halted should warnings come of an impending war. This stoppage procedure could also be applied in non-war periods of escalated skirmishes that involve rocket attacks against Israel, Ha’aretz said. The official explanation for this policy is that activity at the reactors is carried out for research purposes, and such research work does not need to be carried out constantly, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, it said. The IDF and the IAEC are also said to be prepared for the possibility of an attempted attack on the nuclear reactors during a conflict with Iran, Syria, Hizbollah in Lebanon or Hamas and other Palestinian organisations in the Gaza Strip. Such attacks could be carried out using missiles, rockets, planes or drones. The workers at the reactors will however continue to report for duty during War, but will be active in specially fortified installations and bunkers, as happens with workers employed at other infrastructure or security facilities. Dimona is located within the range of surface-to-surface missiles possessed by Iran, Syria and Hizbollah. Many believe it can be a target if a regional war breaks out in the region should United States and Israel carry out a military strike against Iranian nuclear installations to prevent it from acquiring nuclear capability. Washington and Jerusalem have from time to time issued veiled threats against Tehran saying “all options are on the table” to foil the Islamic Republic’s nuclear ambitions, but for the time being have settled for diplomatic options. PTI