Democrats Challenge Decades of Silence on Israel’s Nuclear Weapons

U.S. Capitol building

Earlier this week, a group of 30 lawmakers condemned the Trump administration’s silence on Israel’s undeclared nuclear weapons program, urging an end to decades of ambiguity.

Led by Texas Representative Joaquin Castro (D-TX), the group issued a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanding that the U.S. Department of State hold Israel to the same standard as other countries in providing transparency on its nuclear capabilities.

Amid the ongoing war in Iran, the group said the silence is no longer sustainable.

“We are in the fullest sense, fighting this war side by side with a country whose potential nuclear weapons program the United States government officially refuses to acknowledge,” the group wrote. “American service members continue to be deployed throughout the region.”

As the administration seeks to limit nuclear programs in Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the group of lawmakers said this cannot be achieved without acknowledging the nuclear weapons program in Israel.

“We cannot develop coherent nonproliferation policy for the Middle East … while maintaining a policy of official silence about the nuclear weapons capabilities of one party central to the ongoing conflict,” the group wrote.

The letter claims the U.S.’s history of never publicly acknowledging Israel’s nuclear weapons is intentional and limits what officials can say publicly.

The group criticizes this long-standing silence, arguing this makes it difficult for members of Congress to stay informed on the nuclear balance in the Middle East, the risk of escalation in the conflict and the administration's plan for such scenarios.

“We do not believe we have received that information,” the group wrote.

The lawmakers warned that the stakes of the conflict will only continue to increase.

“The risks of miscalculation, escalation and nuclear use in this environment are not theoretical,” the group wrote.

The group requested a full response from Secretary Rubio by May 18.

Payton Anderson

Payton Anderson is a reporter for Texas Politics based in Washington, D.C., where she's pursuing her bachelor's degree in journalism at American University. Originally from California, Payton's reporting experience spans all avenues of digital and multimedia publishing. In her free time, she enjoys playing soccer and being outdoors.