Israeli Prime Minister Yar Rapid said this week that Israel has “other capabilities” to fend off threats from Iran, in a rare hint of the country’s widely reported nuclear arsenal.
At an event commemorating the new head of Israel’s Atomic Energy Commission, Lapid discussed Israel’s defensive and offensive capabilities, as well as its “other capabilities” – apparently referring to nuclear weapons.
“The battle arena of the invisible dome above us is built on defensive capabilities and offensive capabilities, what foreign media call ‘other capabilities’. As long as we and our children are here, these other capabilities keep us alive, and will keep us alive,” Rapid said.
Israel has never officially recognized the possession of nuclear weapons and is not a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). It is widely believed that it has stockpiled hundreds of weapons since the 1960s.
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who remains in charge of Iran’s dossier, also spoke at the event, saying “substantial resources” had been devoted to countering Iran’s nuclear threat.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Tuesday that even if the United States reaches a new deal with Iran, Israel will still be able to fight the regime’s nuclear program. https://t.co/keXuadtIaG
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) January 1, 2022
“A year ago, we made a series of decisions aimed at refining our assessment in response to the Iranian nuclear issue. [weapons],” Bennett Say. “We’ve allocated huge resources to bridge the gaps that keep me awake [at night]. “
“The Iranians are making progress, but the Israeli system has been operating at full capacity for the past year,” Bennett continued. “I know you will continue to work, regardless of the political turmoil in this country.”
In recent months, there have been a series of mysterious explosions at Iranian nuclear facilities, as well as several high-profile assassinations, many of which Tehran says are behind Jerusalem.
In a rare acknowledgment of Israel’s actions in Iran, national security adviser Eyal Hulata said recently that Israel “has done quite a bit of action in Iran over the past year.”
