Democrats in Congress Urge Trump Administration to Acknowledge Israel's Nuclear Program

A group of Democrats in the United States Congress has urged the Trump administration to publicly acknowledge Israel’s undeclared nuclear weapons program. The request, outlined in a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, marks a departure from decades of U.S. policy that has treated the program as an open secret since the late 1960s.

The lawmakers stated that Washington’s silence is unjustifiable given the ongoing war in Iran and the potential for military escalation. They wrote that the dangers of miscalculation, escalation, and use of nuclear weapons are not theoretical, and emphasized Congress's responsibility to be informed about the nuclear balance in the Middle East.

The letter highlighted concerns about nuclear risks in the current environment.

These officials stated that Israel’s red lines may not be clearly understood and that the threshold for a nuclear response could be lower than previously believed, especially if air defense systems are overwhelmed by missile barrages. Such concerns grew after Iranian missiles struck areas near Israel’s nuclear research facilities in Dimona and Arad last March, revealing vulnerabilities in the air defense system.

The U.S.-Israel policy of silence stems from a 1969 agreement between then-President Richard Nixon and then-Prime Minister Golda Meir, under which the U.S. accepted Israel’s nuclear ambiguity and protected it from international criticism. This arrangement has shaped U.S. policy on the matter since then.

The initiative indicates a broader change in the Democratic Party’s stance toward Israel. The letter's authors argued that the policy undermines U.S. efforts to limit nuclear programs in Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates by ignoring Israel’s capabilities.

Joaquin Castro stated that the U.S. should not conceal this information out of politeness and that Israel should not be an exception when discussing global weapons programs. He plans to publish the administration’s response once received.