# What all methods could Israel use to stop a hostile neighbor from getting nukes **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 7, 2016, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-all-methods-could-israel-use-to-stop-a-hostile-neighbor-from-getting-nukes/762048 "2016-08-07T16:29:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-all-methods-could-israel-use-to-stop-a-hostile-neighbor-from-getting-nukes/762048/1 "2016-08-07T16:29:51Z")
Just out of curiosity. I’m talking all methods (legal and illegal, moral and immoral). The only caveat is that the methods work and not be outrageously immoral. The reason I pick Israel is because that is a nation who actually has faced this issue and from what I can tell they are more proactive than other nations in this situation. ie, South Korea doesn’t do the stuff to stop North Korea from getting nukes that Israel does to stop Iraq, Syria or Iran from getting them. This isn’t meant to be a pro or anti Israel thread. It isn’t even meant to be pro or anti nuke. I jut picked Israel because the Israelis do not mess around, they take their survival seriously. So far I know Israel has done the following to nations like Iraq, Iran & Syria: [ul] [li]Diplomatic pressure[/li][li]Assassinating nuclear scientists and missile engineers in hostile nations[/li][li]Assassinating military leaders pushing nuclear programs[/li][li]Creating computer viruses to destroy enrichment facilities (this is what the Stuxnet virus was, a virus created by Israel & the US to damage Iranian nuclear facilities)[/li][li]Bombing nuclear plants (Israel did this to both Iraq and Syria).[/li][li]Bombing nuclear equipment and missile equipment when it was being shipped from foreign nations to hostile nations[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-all-methods-could-israel-use-to-stop-a-hostile-neighbor-from-getting-nukes/762048/2 "2016-08-07T17:21:18Z")
They’ve also undermined the efforts of an American president to negotiate with Iran to stop their nuclear weapons program. Not sure how that helps, but that’s what they did. ---
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-all-methods-could-israel-use-to-stop-a-hostile-neighbor-from-getting-nukes/762048/3 "2016-08-07T17:43:47Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > They’ve also undermined the efforts of an American president to negotiate with Iran to stop their nuclear weapons program. Not sure how that helps, but that’s what they did. They’re a sovereign nation and the Iran deal was crap and everybody knew it. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-all-methods-could-israel-use-to-stop-a-hostile-neighbor-from-getting-nukes/762048/4 "2016-08-07T17:50:37Z")
I don’t understand this on so many levels - inc. why a ‘hostile’ ‘neighbor’ would resort to killing most of the 1.4 Arabs within Israel. I rather think the idea is some countries see the militarisation and extremism of Israel and feel they need to defend themselves in similar terms. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-all-methods-could-israel-use-to-stop-a-hostile-neighbor-from-getting-nukes/762048/5 "2016-08-07T17:52:17Z")
Ok, 3 responses and all are off topic already. I like where this is going. I think I can masturbate to this. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-all-methods-could-israel-use-to-stop-a-hostile-neighbor-from-getting-nukes/762048/6 "2016-08-07T18:02:01Z")
I don’t think diplomatic pressure is really on the table unless it’s applied through a third party. Most of Israel’s neighbors have no diplomatic relations with Israel so there’s not even anything to apply leverage on. Same thing with economic sanctions. Trade doesn’t generally exist so it can’t be used as a means of trying to influence policy. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-all-methods-could-israel-use-to-stop-a-hostile-neighbor-from-getting-nukes/762048/7 "2016-08-07T18:35:33Z")
I disagree. Diplomatic initiatives could be helpful. For example, lets take a scenario that is unrealistic: Israel writes a treaty to declare the larger Middle East a nuclear-free zone, and opens the treaty up to all its neighbors and the major nuclear powers. That could be a very effective diplomatic initiative, except there’s no chance Israel would do it. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-all-methods-could-israel-use-to-stop-a-hostile-neighbor-from-getting-nukes/762048/8 "2016-08-08T11:32:44Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Ok, 3 responses and all are off topic already. I like where this is going. I think I can masturbate to this. You are out of line. The responses were not off topic. Nobody wants to hear about your sex life in this forum, (and it is against the rules). Knock it off. [/Moderating] ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-all-methods-could-israel-use-to-stop-a-hostile-neighbor-from-getting-nukes/762048/9 "2016-08-08T15:30:56Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > I disagree. Diplomatic initiatives could be helpful. For example, lets take a scenario that is unrealistic: Israel writes a treaty to declare the larger Middle East a nuclear-free zone, and opens the treaty up to all its neighbors and the major nuclear powers. That could be a very effective diplomatic initiative, except there’s no chance Israel would do it. Is Israel going to give up their nuclear weapons? In return for other countries not developing nuclear weapons? And agree to inspections and so on from Iran and Saudi Arabia, and so on? This won’t happen. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-all-methods-could-israel-use-to-stop-a-hostile-neighbor-from-getting-nukes/762048/10 "2016-08-08T15:39:25Z")
They could disavow nukes themselves and disarm. I’m not at all convinced that Iran, Iraq, and Syria want the nukes but one could argue that they’re faced with a hostile neighbor with nukes and just want to defend themselves. They seem to be insistent that they be the only power in the area with nuclear weapons and that stance may not be in their best interest. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-all-methods-could-israel-use-to-stop-a-hostile-neighbor-from-getting-nukes/762048/11 "2016-08-08T15:40:51Z")
> [@up\_the\_junction](#): > > I don’t understand this on so many levels - inc. why a ‘hostile’ ‘neighbor’ would resort to killing most of the 1.4 Arabs within Israel. > > I rather think the idea is some countries see the militarisation and extremism of Israel and feel they need to defend themselves in similar terms. “Some countries” meaning those well-known non-militant non-extremists, Assad’s Syria and Saddam’s Iraq? 😃 Neither had any compunctions against slaughtering fellow Arabs on occasion. Why should they care overmuch about Arabs living in Israel? ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-all-methods-could-israel-use-to-stop-a-hostile-neighbor-from-getting-nukes/762048/12 "2016-08-08T15:43:30Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > Is Israel going to give up their nuclear weapons? In return for other countries not developing nuclear weapons? And agree to inspections and so on from Iran and Saudi Arabia, and so on? > > This won’t happen. Did I not provide enough caveats in my post? ETA: and by the way, current NPT inspections are not carried out by “Iran and Saudi Arabia and so on,” nor any other nation. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-all-methods-could-israel-use-to-stop-a-hostile-neighbor-from-getting-nukes/762048/13 "2016-08-08T15:47:41Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > They could disavow nukes themselves and disarm. I’m not at all convinced that Iran, Iraq, and Syria want the nukes but one could argue that they’re faced with a hostile neighbor with nukes and just want to defend themselves. They seem to be insistent that they be the only power in the area with nuclear weapons and that stance may not be in their best interest. The same logic applies to every country owning nuclear weapons - none want further ‘proliferation’, but few (save I thin South Africa and Ukraine) have ever voluntarily given them up - and Ukraine probably regrets doing so, given that it received completely worthless guarantees in exchange, and has since been dismembered by Putin’s Russia. So far, history (in the specific case of Ukraine) has been against voluntarily disarming; though in favor of the plan in the specific case of Israel is that, unlike Ukraine, Israel remains so strong conventionally that its neighbors do not currently pose a military threat. Right now, “Iraq and Syria” are of course in no position to seek out nukes, although both have done so in the past, because their countries are involved in massive internal wars. They don’t have a few billion in resources to spare for nukes. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-all-methods-could-israel-use-to-stop-a-hostile-neighbor-from-getting-nukes/762048/14 "2016-08-08T15:51:52Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > You are out of line. > > The responses were not off topic. > Nobody wants to hear about your sex life in this forum, (and it is against the rules). > > Knock it off. > > [/Moderating] Sigh. OK, I won’t make juvenile jokes. But the responses were off topic. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-all-methods-could-israel-use-to-stop-a-hostile-neighbor-from-getting-nukes/762048/15 "2016-08-08T15:53:04Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > They could disavow nukes themselves and disarm…They seem to be insistent that they be the only power in the area with nuclear weapons and that stance may not be in their best interest. Easy to say when you’re not in their position. And Israel is democratic - nuclear disarmament would be a complete political nonstarter. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-all-methods-could-israel-use-to-stop-a-hostile-neighbor-from-getting-nukes/762048/16 "2016-08-08T15:56:54Z")
Israel doesn’t have the right equipment for an aerial bombardment to destroy Iran’s Fordow facility. However, they are getting some MV-22s sometime in the near future, so they could potentially pull off an Entebbe-ish raid with commandos, enter the facility, and plant explosives inside to destroy it. It’d be really cool to read about afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-all-methods-could-israel-use-to-stop-a-hostile-neighbor-from-getting-nukes/762048/17 "2016-08-08T16:03:41Z")
Iran is an Israeli neighbour now? ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-all-methods-could-israel-use-to-stop-a-hostile-neighbor-from-getting-nukes/762048/18 "2016-08-08T16:08:32Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Iran is an Israeli neighbour now? They’re in the same neighborhood. That makes them neighbors, just not next-door to each other. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-all-methods-could-israel-use-to-stop-a-hostile-neighbor-from-getting-nukes/762048/19 "2016-08-08T16:45:35Z")
“What all methods could Israel use to stop a hostile neighbor from getting nukes” Borrow their centrifuges and not give them back? ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-all-methods-could-israel-use-to-stop-a-hostile-neighbor-from-getting-nukes/762048/20 "2016-08-08T17:13:44Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Iran is an Israeli neighbour now? Israel is within missile and fighter range of Iran. Of course, vice versa applies also. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-all-methods-could-israel-use-to-stop-a-hostile-neighbor-from-getting-nukes/762048.md?page=2)