Nuclear whistle-blower Mordechai Vanunu
lashed out at Israel Friday in an Internet chat with readers in Norway, defying a ban on contact with foreigners.
"I saved Israel from its madness to go toward nuclear genocide war," Vanunu said in the chat set up by Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet.
"I am very proud of publishing nuclear secret," Vanunu said,
adding that he believed Israel would not hesitate to use nuclear weapons.
Dagbladet editor Helge Oegrim said they repeatedly called Vanunu on a secret telephone number to make sure he was the person answering the readers.
"I'm not saying it couldn't be a top spy answering," Oegrim told The Associated Press. "But we feel very certain that this is the real person."
Risking contact for nuclear-free world
Vanunu confirmed to the Associated Press in Israel that he had participated in the Norwegian paper's question and answer session.
He said he was taking the risk of contact
with foreigners to advance his campaign against nuclear weapons in Israel and the world.
"All my activity here is open and known to everyone," Vanunu said. "The Israel government can put me back in prison if they want."
Request denied
Earlier this week, the Interior Ministry extended a ban on Vanunu leaving the country or contacting foreigners for another year.
Security officials have said Vanunu could still have classified information that he didn't release earlier.
Vanunu has applied for asylum in numerous countries, including Norway, which rejected his request because he applied at Oslo's embassy in Israel rather than in Norway as required.
The government also said it feared compromising its role as a mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.