Papers Show Nuclear Sale to Israel in 1959
Britain helped launch Israel’s nuclear program in 1959 by secretly selling the Jewish state 20 tons of heavy water, a key ingredient in making atomic bombs, declassified documents suggest.
British officials involved were at pains to avoid telling Washington about the secret deal, said the papers made available by the National Archive in London.
For the record:
12:00 a.m. Aug. 6, 2005 For The Record
Los Angeles Times Saturday August 06, 2005 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 41 words Type of Material: Correction
Heavy water -- A news brief in Friday’s Section A about the sale of heavy water to Israel in 1959 said heavy water was also known as deuterium. Heavy water is a compound of deuterium, which is an isotope of hydrogen.
The declassified documents show that in 1959, British officials did not believe that Israel was capable of building an atomic device. Experts said heavy water, also known as deuterium, could be used for civilian purposes.
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