Dimona nuclear reactor
Photo: Reuters
Report: UK sold heavy water to Israel
BBC reports that, in 1958, Britain sold heavy water to Israel, which is necessary component for production of plutonium; sale done behind the backs of Americans, who were promised that Dimona would be used for peaceful, nuclear energy production
Nuclear secrets revealed: Britain secretly sold Israel in the 1950's a necessary component needed for the production of plutonium.
According to the report, based on documents from Britain's national archives, Israel bought, in 1958, 20 tons of heavy water from Britain for GBP 1.5 million.
Thus Britain helped Israel develop its nuclear reactor in Dimona, the BBC reported.
American Suspicions
By Avner Cohen
Declassified documents show U.S. knew of Israel's nuclear intentions as early as 1961
The Americans refused to sell heavy water to Israel unless the country first promised that it would only be used for peaceful purposes.
Britain never made such stipulations.
Britain kept the deal a secret, and then-British Foreign Office official Donald Cape was quoted as writing in the papers, "On the whole I would prefer not to mention this to the Americans."
American reaction
U.S. President John F Kennedy's defense secretary, Robert McNamara, told the BBC he was "astonished" by the cover-up.
"The fact Israel was trying to develop a nuclear bomb should not have come as any surprise. But that Britain should have supplied it with heavy water was indeed a surprise to me."
