ll I Aur A r n- DECLASSHUED Authority CONFIDENTIAL Department of Slate PAGE HI TEL AV B3811 D1 OF 92 2617442 6982 ACTION INFO OCT-OI sso-AO x93 -- 91539 2617471 144 0 2617251 FEB an 7 FR AMEMEASSY TEL AVIV TO SECSTATE NASHOC IMMEDIATE 6353 - A INFO AMEHBASSY AHHAN AHEMBASSY ANKARA AMEMBASSY ATHENS USINT BAGHDAD - a AMEMBASSY BEIRUT AMEMBASSY BERN AMEMBASSY BONN GOTTEN USED TO IT INFORMED ISRAELIS IS THAT ISRAEL ALMOST CERTAINLY POSSESSES THE TECHNICAL KNOWHOW -- AND POSSIBLY THE MATERIALS -- TO BUILD ITS OWN BOMB BUT ISRAEL HAS NOT INCOMING TELEGRAM E El OF O2 2617441 NUCLEAR WEAPONS HAVE BEEN AROUND IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER 6 FOR MORE THAN A DECADE AND ISRAELIS HAVE LONG SINCE THE STANDARD ASSUMPTION AMONG WELL- IN FACT BUILT A BOMB AND WILL NOT DO SO UNLESS AN ARAB COUNTRY DOES SO FIRST OR IS CLEARLY ABOUT TO DO SO AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 5 PRESS REACTION HAS BEEN GENERALLY CYNICAL AMEMBASSY CAIRO AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE AMEMBASSY JIDDA AMEMBASSY LISBON AMEMBASSY LONDON AMEMBASSY MADRID AMEMBASSY OSLO AMEMDASSY PARIS AMEMBASSY PRETORIA IMMEDIATE USLO RIYADH AMEMBASSY ROME IN PARTICULAR SEES THE STORY AS SOMEHOW TIED IN WITH US EFFORTS TO PUT PRESSURE ON ISRAEL ALLEGING THAT IN JANUARY 1378 WHEN ISRAEL WAS IN A SHARP DISPUTE WITH THE US OVER THE PEACE TREATY WITH EGYPT THE CIA INTENTIONALLY LEAHED DOCUMENTS THAT PROVED THAT A MISSING QUANTITY OF US URANIUM HAD FOUND ITS WAY TO ISRAEL SPECULATES - THAT THE LATEST STORY WOULD NOT HAVE RECEIVED SUCH HIGH- LEVEL COVERAGE IN THE US THERE HAD NOT BEEN A CERTAIN SOMEONE IN WASHINGTON WHO GAVE IT HIS BLESSING AS PART OF THE CAMPAIGN OF AROUSING SUSPICIONS AGAINST ISRAEL WHILE THE CARTER ADMINISTRATION PRESSURES US ON THE PALESTINE AND ARMS-FOR-EGYPT USMISSION SINAI 6 THE PEOPLE IN ISRAEL PROBABLY MOST UPSET BY THE RAVIV AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM AMEMBASSY TUNIS USMISSION USUN NEW YORK AMEMBASSY VIENNA I I A SECTION D1 OF 52 TEL AVIV 93811 EXDIS E o 12365 Ros-1 2 26 96 IBRONN NILLIAH A OR-H TAGS MNUC IS SF SUBJECT ISRAELI REACTION To cas STORY OH ISRAELI - 1 IC-ENTIRE TEXT 2 THE ISRAELI OOUERNHERT PRESS OFFICE HAS LIFTED THE PRESS CREDENTIALS OF CBS RAOIO STRINGER OAN RAVIV NHO REPORTED LAST THURSDAY ON THE ALLEGED JOINT ISRAELI-SOUTH AFRICAN NUCLEAR TEST THE PRESS OFFICE TOOH THE STEP AT THE REOUEST OF THE CHIEF MILITARY CENSOR BECAUSE OF ANO CLEAR OF THE CENSORSHIP RULES BY FILINO TRE STORY FROH ROME TO CIROUHUENT ISRAELI CENSORSHIP THE ISRAELIS HAVE NOT YET DECIOEU NHETHER TO TAKE ANY FURTHER STEPS SUCH As CANCELLATION 0F VISA BUT THIS Is UNLIKELY THE GPO ALSO FILED A VIGOR- ous PROTEST TO THE BUREAU CHIEF IN TEL AUIV AND THE HEAD OF CBS NEWS IN NEW YORK 3 IN GENERAL ISRAELI REACTION TO SENSATIONAL LIFTED FROH A STILL UNPUBLISHED BOOK BY TWO ISRAELI AUTHORS NOW WITH THE MILITARY CENSOR HAS BEEN RELATIVELY LOW HEY DEFENSE MINISTER WEIZMAN THE NEXT DAY DISMISSED THE REPORT AS BUT HAS NOT MADE A CAUSE CELEBRE OF IT DEPARTING FROM THEIR STANDARD PRACTECE OF MAKING NO COMMENT ON SUCH REPORT ISRAELI DEFENSE OFFICIALS WENT OUT OF THEIR WAY TO RIDICULE REPORT IN PRIVATE ATTENTION HAS BEEN DRAWN TO THE FACT THAT ONE OF THE AUTHORS HAD HIS COLUMN IN TERMTNATED A FEW YEARS AGO FOR BEING NOTORIOUSLY UNRELIABLE 4 THE REACTION OF MOST ISRAELIS HAS BEEN WHAT ELSE IS ALLEGATIONS ABOUT POSSESSION OF CONFIDENTIAL STORY ARE THE CBS BUREAU IN TEL AVIV OFFICIALS OF THE BUREAU STRICTLY PROTECT TOLD US THAT WHILE THE BUREAU NOT TO BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE AUTHORIIATION OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY U dbemE HU 531 nozm_cmzq_ r _zn z_zm bmm Sp 04Hoz mmuwm MmuqmmN 00% Em 913$ m5 Nw mm mr awmpp an QM mmHuAmN saw 8H bowlsa mmOIaa i uaapmuh mm_umaw hh mm ma g %mr 40 wmnmA m 2X m 4Im2m CWHZ4 mmeU U Zm m mm 41m I Qcm FOZDOZ bumHU Umm omH H m0H m cer 2 Ebm mogm 03 2 4 am Oh QM %mr meHH OZ meQ2 mZH HZ 3100mmH _ mogm EHAIOCA Im DOAHZQ mcmm c Om %Im 2 dcmm m H im mmUOm 40 mmHm 0mm Zmim H2 Zm CUOZ ObrrmU Im wcnm c H2 4mr %0 HA Im mcmm c m%mm 2 Zmim 2_ OImnsz Im 0C4 20 AOFU DEX Im ibm OOZI H4 H4 40 GO 41m maOD 20 me Zm m IHFF 0mm ZmEm 3Um mm rmm 0 AG I m SHAI ZHQIH mm om4 EIHOI 0 m4 OZ Im lm mm OD mU mr m4 0mm ZmEm Im m I m HOFU cm H2 m%mH04mm% Im mm new mm4m oaH02 u noggmz mcnI mr n mC 4Im mm 204 lm 0024mm4mg Im Im Z 4Cmm 0 %Im Hw bmr 20 H m 01 4m0120r00 err 42 Hzm 40 nmo m Hmm mr U mzacnmmoam 20 onnomaczamaHn I m 41m mozmz mC4 SHPF 40 mzooczamm Omm % HZ H4 maHox m Hom20m Hmm mr 40 H2 HZ OOZLCZO4HOZ SHHI mH0meHm m H4 EOCFU mm %Im Oh HZ O g im 02m 20 m mmer m Fr Hmm mFH m1 mm n mm0H 4H02 04 do an xmwzoacnmo _azoc4 an Mancq_ m anxma z4