[[Shimon Peres]] was a prominent [[Israel|Israeli]] politician who served as Defense Minister and later as Prime Minister. He was a key figure in [[Israel|Israel's]] political and military landscape for decades, playing particularly significant roles in the country's nuclear program and various covert operations.[^1] ### Early Career and Nuclear Program Leadership Peres's rise to influence began in late 1953, when [[David Ben-Gurion]] appointed the then thirty-year-old [[Shimon Peres]] as director general of the ministry of defense. In this pivotal role, Peres, alongside [[Ernst David Bergmann]], became instrumental in driving [[Israel]]'s nuclear weapons program, which was publicly presented as research for peaceful purposes. Recognizing the financial challenges of such an ambitious undertaking, Peres, Ben-Gurion, and Bergmann sought private financing from wealthy American and European Jews to fund this secret endeavor.[^2] As the architect of [[Israel|Israel's]] nuclear ambitions, [[Shimon Peres|Peres]] was effectively the father of [[Israel|Israel's]] nuclear program in the mid-1950s. Working under [[David Ben-Gurion]], he believed that [[Israel]] needed nuclear weapons as a deterrent against [[Arab countries]]. Understanding the technical requirements, Peres knew that no plutonium weapon could be made without a reprocessing plant, and that its construction was impossible without French commitment.[^2] Peres also insisted on the creation of a new intelligence agency, initially known as the Office of Special Tasks, to provide security for the burgeoning nuclear operation at [[Dimona]]. This office, handpicked by Peres and led by [[Binyamin Blumberg]], was bureaucratically placed inside the defense ministry and would later become known as LAKAM.[^3] ### International Nuclear Partnerships Peres's diplomatic efforts proved crucial in securing international support for [[Israel]]'s nuclear program. He traveled to [[France]] to secure assistance for [[Israel]]'s nuclear ambitions, and in 1956, he flew to [[France]] to secure a weapons-grade nuclear reactor and technology for a nuclear bomb from [[Charles de Gaulle|President Charles de Gaulle]]. Beyond the French connection, Peres also arranged for the sale of high-performance French bombers to [[Israel]] in 1955, bypassing diplomatic niceties.[^2] Expanding [[Israel]]'s nuclear partnerships further, Peres initiated military cooperation with [[South Africa]] in 1959. This arrangement involved [[South Africa]] selling uranium to [[Israel]] and later financing parts of [[Israel|Israel's]] nuclear program, creating a mutually beneficial relationship that would support [[Israel]]'s nuclear development for years to come.[^1] ### Controversies and Covert Operations Peres's career was not without scandal. In 1976, a telegram intercepted by [[Unit 8200]] revealed details of bribes paid by a [[Lockheed Aircraft Company|Lockheed]] representative in [[Israel]] to Defense Minister [[Shimon Peres|Peres]]. The sum involved was $3.5 million, deposited in one of [[Shimon Peres|Peres's]] brother's business accounts in [[Europe]]. This damaging information, discovered by [[Ari Ben-Menashe]], was subsequently covered up by [[Israel|Israeli]] military intelligence superiors.[^1] The 1980s brought new controversies involving arms sales to [[Iran]]. In 1980, [[William Casey]] invited [[Shimon Peres|Peres]], then [[Labor Party]] leader, to participate in secret meetings concerning arms sales to [[Iran]]. [[Shimon Peres|Peres]] secretly met with [[Mehdi Karrubi]] in [[Madrid]], actions that drew sharp criticism when they came to light. When [[Menachem Begin 1]] learned of this unauthorized diplomacy, he warned [[Shimon Peres|Peres]] that such actions without government knowledge would be considered treason.[^1] ### Prime Ministerial Tenure and Arms Trading In 1984, [[Shimon Peres|Peres]] became Prime Minister as part of a bizarre coalition agreement with [[Yitzhak Shamir]] of the [[Likud Party]], where they would share the roles of prime minister and foreign minister. During his tenure as prime minister (1984-1986), [[Shimon Peres|Peres]] appointed [[Amiram Nir]] as his counterterrorism adviser, a decision that would have significant implications for [[Israel]]'s covert operations.[^1] During this period, Peres sought to expand [[Israel]]'s involvement in international arms trading. He worked to open a competing arms channel to [[Iran]] to gain control over the profitable arms sales and to undermine the [[Iran-Israel Joint Committee|existing intelligence-community channel]]. This involvement extended to the broader [[USA|U.S.]] policy of arming both [[Iran]] and [[Iraq]], with [[Shimon Peres|Peres]] encouraging [[Bruce Rappaport]] to buy military equipment from [[Israel]] and divert it to [[Iraq]].[^1] Despite his involvement in these controversial arms dealings, Peres also supported diplomatic initiatives, including the idea of a peace conference with the [[Palestinians]]. However, this proposal was blocked by [[Yitzhak Shamir]] and the [[Likud Party]], reflecting the ongoing political tensions within [[Israel]]'s coalition government.[^1] ### Later Political Developments The legacy of Peres's covert operations continued to create complications even after his prime ministerial tenure. [[Amiram Nir|Nir's]] death in 1988 was believed by [[Israel|Israeli]] intelligence to be a [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] operation to prevent his testimony from embarrassing [[Shimon Peres|Peres]], [[Ronald Reagan]], or [[George Bush]], highlighting the international ramifications of the arms trading networks Peres had helped establish.[^1] Peres's long political career eventually faced a significant setback in 1992, when he was ousted as leader of the [[Labor Party]] by [[Yitzhak Rabin]], who then replaced [[Yitzhak Shamir]] as prime minister after the national elections, marking the end of an era in [[Israel|Israeli]] politics.[^1] ### Footnotes [^1]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. _Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network_. TrineDay, 1992. (Hereafter, "Profits of War") [^2]: Hersh, Seymour M. _The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy_. Random House, 1991. Chapter 2.