A secret compound.

the most famous one in Israel, according to foreign sources.

They, the foreign sources, claim that nuclear bombs of the atomic family are produced at the Dimona nuclear reactor. The Israeli government insists on calling the place "Nuclear Research Center" (in short: NMRC), and its representatives are only willing to respond with the well-known phrase "no comment" whenever the place is mentioned. And if a Knesset member or government minister were to let slip a few explicit words that supposedly clear the air, they would immediately be forced to apologize, saying their words were taken out of context and misunderstood.

 

A special and mysterious aura hangs over the huge compound located in the municipal area of the city of Dimona, in the Negev. That aura is shrouded in a fog that has a name: "nuclear ambiguity" (AmiMut GarInit) – a Hebrew term coined by the security establishment to create deterrence. So that our enemies will know, or at least imagine, what weapons we have in our arsenal, and so they won't dare to mess with us too much.

If foreign sources are to be believed, what is produced at the NMRC is the trump card of the Israeli security doctrine; it is the Doomsday weapon; it is "the Samson Option." And only if there is no other option will its products be used.

What kind of use?

They should learn from history what happened to Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

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Very few people, those with an exceptionally high security clearance, know exactly what is done at the NMRC.

The Israeli public accepts the nuclear ambiguity and trusts its leaders regarding the Dimona reactor and everything that happens there. This is part of the information that all Israelis know, and everyone keeps it as an open secret. Even the Israeli media, in a rare display of discipline, doesn't pry too much and remains loyal to the severe censorship that covers the place and the discussions about it. It is forbidden to ask unnecessary questions, and it is forbidden to go into detail.

 

There was once a man, named Mordechai Vanunu, who worked at the NMRC. Vanunu managed to secretly take photos from his secret workplace. He not only took photos but smuggled them out and sold them to a London newspaper, which published them to the entire world. According to foreign sources, these were authentic photographs that made headlines in media outlets all over the world.

In the 1980s, it was a fantastic story that purported to expose the truth behind the Dimona nuclear reactor.

Official Israel continued to hide behind the nuclear ambiguity but settled the score with the rogue Vanunu who dared to expose its most closely guarded secret. He was arrested by the Israeli Mossad, in an operation that seemed to be taken from a Hollywood movie, and sentenced to 18 years in prison, which he served in full. Even after his release, he continued to be monitored and was forbidden from discussing the matter.

Anyone who wants to continue living in the Hollywood movie is welcome to read conspiracy theories about Vanunu. For example, one claims that Vanunu was actually a Mossad agent who participated in a fantastic plot by the Israeli authorities. A plot intended to expose the fact that Israel has a real nuclear reactor, without openly admitting it. And his whole story, including his abduction, trial, and imprisonment, was part of that PR conspiracy.

Whether that's true or not, it's clear that the nuclear ambiguity was partially clarified, and Israeli deterrence received a significant boost from the worldwide publication that lasted for many years.

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By the way, whoever insists can find clues on the internet.

Wikipedia, for example, offers some quite interesting details gathered from open sources about the Dimona nuclear reactor. There are also important or anonymous websites that expand a bit more, and even display pictures, but how can you know what's true and what's not, and what is published in a "reverse psychology" style?

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Another subtle clue can be found in interesting statistics.

For example: the ranking of cities with the largest municipal area in Israel. In first place on the table is, quite surprisingly, a small city named: Dimona. The city, which has a population of a few tens of thousands, spans a vast area of about 220,000 dunams (around 54,000 acres). It is ranked before Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, or Haifa.

Those who aren't surprised are the ones who are familiar with the area, or those who once drove there, on their way from somewhere to somewhere, and saw from the car window many kilometers of fence, in the heart of the desert, with "no photography" signs.