THE INSTITUTE BUILDING; PROFESSOR TALMI AND DR. TELLER ENTERING NUCLEAR PHYSICS AREA; REATOR ROOM; PROFESSOR TALMI AT THE CONTROLS; TECHNICIANS WORKING.




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Background: UNITED STATES OFFICIALS SAID IN WASHINGTON RECENTLY THAT ISRAEL HAS ACQUIRED A "THRESHOLD CAPABILITY" OF BECOMING A NUCLEAR POWER -- BUT AS FAR AS THEY KNEW IT HAD NOT YET MANUFACTURED A NUCLEAR WEAPON. A LEADER OF THE ISRAELI NUCLEAR PHYSICS DEPARTMENT OF THE ISRAEL WEAPONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE, PROFESSOR YIGAL TALMI, RECENTLY CONDUCTED AN AMERICAN PHYSICIST, DR. TELLER, OVER THE ESTABLISHMENTS.

ISRAEL HAS EMPHASIESED THAT IT WOULD NOT BE THE FIRST TO INTRODUCE NUCLEAR WEAPONS INTO THE MIDDLE EAST, AND THE AMERICAN OFFICIALS SAY THAT THEY BELIEVE THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT HAS NOT MADE A DECISION TO BUILD AN ATOMIC BOMB. THE OFFICIALS OFFERED THEIR ASSESSMENT FOLLOWING RENEWED SPECULATION THAT ISRAEL HAS BUILT OR WAS BUILDING AN ATOMIC BOMB.

IT'S BELIEVED THAT THE ISRAELIS, WHO HAVE RECEIVED CONSIDERABLE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM FRANCE, COULD BUILD A CRUDE ATOMIC BOMB IN ABOUT A YEAR. THE ISRAELIS ALREADY HAVE AN ATOMIC REACTOR CAPABLE OF PRODUCING ENOUGH RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL TO MAKE ABOUT ONE BOMB A YEAR. THE ISRAELIS ALSO HAVE THE PLANES -- PURCHASED FROM FRANCE AND THE U.S. -- TO DELIVER ATOMIC WEAPONS TO A TARGET.