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Both Oppenheimer and Teller made numerous visits to Israel. Oppenheimer admitted he helped them make fast breeder reactors to produce plutonium for fission bomb

by 0xDEF 3y ago

Both Oppenheimer and Teller made numerous visits to Israel. Oppenheimer admitted he helped them make fast breeder reactors to produce plutonium for fission bombs and Teller admitted he helped them make fusion/hydrogen bombs. Why is this information not included in modern coverage of Oppenheimer and Teller? Why were they given a slap on the wrist when other "Atomic spies" were fried in the electric chair for sharing nuclear secrets with the Soviet Union?

localplume 3y ago
I imagine they made numerous visits to Israel because they were Jewish, just as Einstein did. Although Oppenheimer is said to have been ashamed of his Jewishness and tried to hide it, he still was a supporter of Israel and of course this meant helping their nuclear program. He met with Weizmann in 47 and Ben-Gurion in 52, literally just after the holocaust. He helped Israel as he was concerned about Egyptian-Russian relations and securing the position of the only Jewish majority state in the world in the wake of the largest industrialized genocide. Ben-Gurion recruited many Jewish scientists with the explicit goal of ensuring something like the holocaust never happened again. The french also helped newly independent Israel. Why would this information be relevant in modern coverage of Oppenheimer and Teller? They weren't atomic spies selling secrets to an enemy state? The USSR was obviously not equivalent to Israel given the US was the first country to even recognize Israel. Post-WW2 the world was fractured into the eastern and western blocs, and obviously the USSR was the enemy. So I don't see your point Finally, Israel's nuclear weapons policy is drastically different to that of the US or the then-USSR. The purpose is entirely defensive as Israel is a small country surrounded by majority-Muslim countries which have invaded Israel several times; Israel cannot afford to lose a war as this threatens the very existence of Jews. The US and USSR had very different, intentionally antagonistic policies with the exact opposite of deliberate ambiguity.
- sudosysgen 3y ago
  Helping the nuclear program of the country you identify as your home country using secrets from the one you came from is normally called treason and espionage. The rest is the motivation, it doesn't change what it is.
swimfar 3y ago
Can anyone comment on why this was downvoted? Is it not true? Even though sharing secrets with the Soviets would have been different from sharing them with Israel, if it was unsanctioned it still seems like this is a big deal.

by 0xDEF 3y ago

localplume 3y ago

I imagine they made numerous visits to Israel because they were Jewish, just as Einstein did. Although Oppenheimer is said to have been ashamed of his Jewishness and tried to hide it, he still was a supporter of Israel and of course this meant helping their nuclear program. He met with Weizmann in 47 and Ben-Gurion in 52, literally just after the holocaust. He helped Israel as he was concerned about Egyptian-Russian relations and securing the position of the only Jewish majority state in the world in the wake of the largest industrialized genocide. Ben-Gurion recruited many Jewish scientists with the explicit goal of ensuring something like the holocaust never happened again. The french also helped newly independent Israel. Why would this information be relevant in modern coverage of Oppenheimer and Teller? They weren't atomic spies selling secrets to an enemy state? The USSR was obviously not equivalent to Israel given the US was the first country to even recognize Israel. Post-WW2 the world was fractured into the eastern and western blocs, and obviously the USSR was the enemy. So I don't see your point Finally, Israel's nuclear weapons policy is drastically different to that of the US or the then-USSR. The purpose is entirely defensive as Israel is a small country surrounded by majority-Muslim countries which have invaded Israel several times; Israel cannot afford to lose a war as this threatens the very existence of Jews. The US and USSR had very different, intentionally antagonistic policies with the exact opposite of deliberate ambiguity.

sudosysgen 3y ago
Helping the nuclear program of the country you identify as your home country using secrets from the one you came from is normally called treason and espionage. The rest is the motivation, it doesn't change what it is.

swimfar 3y ago

Can anyone comment on why this was downvoted? Is it not true? Even though sharing secrets with the Soviets would have been different from sharing them with Israel, if it was unsanctioned it still seems like this is a big deal.