Dimona Nuclear Research Centre

The Dimona Nuclear Research Centre is a research facility located in the Negev desert of Israel, near the town of Dimona. Established in the mid-1950s, it was a collaborative effort between Israel and France, with Norway also supplying heavy water. The facility includes a research reactor and is involved in nuclear waste disposal.12

Israel's nuclear program began in the mid-1950s, with key figures including David Ben-Gurion, Shimon Peres, and Ernst David Bergmann. The center was built near Dimona, and by 1965, plutonium production had begun. Israel maintains a policy of "nuclear ambiguity," neither confirming nor denying possession of nuclear weapons. Revelations by a former technician have provided insights into the facility's capabilities and Israel's potential nuclear arsenal.13