Israeli nuclear whistleblower to be released

Back in the mid-1980s, when the world was rivetted by the terrifying Chernobyl meltdown and fears of nuclear Armageddon, Mordachai Vanunu, 49, decided to become a whistleblower or — depending on one’s point of view — a traitor. Vanunu, a former mid-level technician at Israel’s Dimona nuclear facility, confirmed to the world in 1986 what until then had been a tightly-held secret: the Jewish state possessed nuclear weapons. The revelation rocked world capitals and reshaped the political landscape of West Asia.

In retaliation, Israel mounted an operation worthy of the best spy fiction. A blonde American-born woman working undercover for Israel’s intelligence service lured Vanunu from London to Rome, where he was kidnapped and shipped back to Israel. There, in a secret trial, Vanunu was convicted of treason and sentenced to 18 years in prison.

Vanunu is due to be released from Israel’s Ashkelon prison next week (Wednesday, April 21) after a harsh term that has included 12 years in solitary confinement.

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Nervous that Vanunu could lead a campaign to pressure Israel to dismantle its weapons programme — especially now when the world’s attention is focused on weapons of mass destruction — Israeli authorities have told Vanunu that he will not be released from prison unless he agrees to heavy restrictions on his movements, speech and associations. They also want Vanunu to agree not to leave Israel, although he wants to live in the US.

Vanunu has refused so far to comply saying after spending nearly two decades in jail for something he considers an act of conscience, he won’t amend his beliefs now.