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Israel has nuclear weapons. Did it keep them safe?
by reliabilityguy 7mo ago
Israel has nuclear weapons. Did it keep them safe?
- markus_zhang 7mo agoPretty safe if you ask me, judging from their…location and historical context.
- alkonaut 7mo agoFrom invasion or forced regime change? Yes (But I don't think the nukes actually helped in that regard).
- reliabilityguy 7mo agoIt did not keep them safe from the invasion 2 years ago.
- delecti 7mo agoThose attacks were horrific, but certainly nothing that rises to the level of an "invasion".
- reliabilityguy 7mo agoThey were invasion by definition: Palestinians crossed into Israel, invaded villages and towns. How come it's not an invasion?
- wvbdmp 7mo agoUsually an invasion entails an intent to capture territory and occupy. A suicide terror attack is qualitatively different even if it’s large-scale. The boots on the ground could just as well have been rockets, whereas an invasion needs a longer term presence.
- randyfox 7mo agoPalestinians crossed into israel from israel (occupied territories by israel). How can you invade yourself?
- reliabilityguy 7mo ago> occupied territories by Israel) Gaza was not occupied. There was zero military presence in Gaza prior to October 7th.
- tokai 7mo agoAim of an invasion is by definition to conquer.
- cosmicgadget 7mo agoI think the meaning of 'invasion' in the context of nuclear deterrence refers to an attempt to occupy.
- BoredPositron 7mo agoWell, proximity is a factor...
- Manuel_D 7mo agoHistorically, Israelis have been much safer than most of their neighbors Oct. 7th notwithstanding.
- reliabilityguy 7mo agoSafer from what? Israeli neighbors that are at peace with Israel are safe as well, e.g., Egypt and Jordan.
- Manuel_D 7mo agoAnd what about Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon? And, in this latest case, Iran?
- reliabilityguy 7mo ago> And what about Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon? And, in this latest case, Iran? As far as I know they do not have peace treaties with Israel, so they are less safe by definition, no? Also, Iraq and Iran are not neighbors of Israel, only Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt are.
- Manuel_D 7mo agoThey're less safe on as demonstrated by the casualties they've sustained in repeated wars, inter-state and civil wars. Iraq and Iran are both in the region, if not directly sharing borders with Israel. So to answer the question I originally responded do, "did nuclear weapons make Israel safer", the answer is evidently yes.
- wat10000 7mo agoThe last time Israel faced an existential threat from its neighbors was 1973. The timeline isn’t entirely clear, but that’s right around the time when they started to have operational nuclear weapons. Many factors contributed to their relative safety since then, but the timing certainly works out for nuclear weapons helping to make that true.