"When we spoke together in May 1961 you said that we might make whatever use we wished of the information resulting from the first visit of American scientists to Dimona and that you would agree to further visits by neutrals as well. I had assumed from Mrs. Meir's comment that there would be no problem between us on this. We are concerned with the disturbing effects on world stability which would accompany the development of a nuclear weapons capability by Israel. I cannot imagine that the Arabs would refrain from turning to the Soviet Union for assistance if Israel were to develop a nuclear weapons capability—with all the consequences this would hold. But the problem is much larger than its impact on the Middle East. Development of a nuclear weapons capability by Israel would almost certainly lead other larger countries, that have so far refrained from such development, to feel that they must follow suit. I can well appreciate your concern for developments in the UAR. But I see no present or imminent nuclear threat to Israel from there. I am assured that our intelligence on this question is good and that the Egyptians do not presently have any installation comparable to Dimona, nor any facilities potentially capable of nuclear weapons production. But, of course, if you have information that would support a contrary conclusion, I should like to receive it from you through Ambassador Barbour. We have the capacity to check it."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Letter from John F. Kennedy (18 May 1963), as cited at the Jewish Virtual Library.
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/David_Ben-Gurion
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
David Ben-Gurion
David Ben-Gurion (16 October 1886 – 1 December 1973) was the first Prime Minister of Israel. He was an active Zionist campaigner before the establishment of the Jewish state, and played an instrumental role in Israel when the British Mandate in Palestine ended. He carried Israel through the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and led the country in its first years of existence, not leaving office for the last time until 1963.
46 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by David Ben-Gurion →
Related Quotes
"The agricultural community that the Arabs found in Eretz Israel in the 7th century was none other than the Hebrew far…"
"The greater majority and main structures of the Muslim falahin in western Eretz Israel present to us one racial stran…"
"Everybody sees a difficulty in the question of relations between Arabs and Jews. But not everybody sees that there is…"
"Under no circumstances must we touch land belonging to fellahs or worked by them. Only if a fellah leaves his place o…"
"The acceptance of partition does not commit us to renounce Transjordan: one does not demand from anybody to give up h…"
"In our political argument abroad, we minimize Arab opposition to us. But let us not ignore the truth among ourselves.…"
"Terrorism benefits the Arabs, it may lay waste the Yishuv and shake Zionism. But to follow in the Arabs' footsteps an…"
"From Jewish terrorism against Arabs it is a short step to Jewish terrorism against Jews."
"If I knew that it was possible to save all the children of Germany by transporting them to England, and only half by …"
"The fellahin are not descendants of the Arab conquerors, who captured Eretz Israel and Syria in the seventh century C…"