--- born: 1886-10-16 category: Nuclear Scientists & Programs died: 1973-12-01 location: Płońsk, Poland (then Russian Empire) summary: David Ben-Gurion, often referred to as the 'Old Man,' was a central figure in the establishment of Israel and served as its first Prime Minister and Defense Minister from 1948 to 1963, with one brief interlude. tags: - Person - Nuclear - Israel --- David Ben-Gurion, often referred to as the "Old Man," was a central figure in the establishment of [Israel](/places/israel/) and served as its first Prime Minister and Defense Minister from 1948 to 1963, with one brief interlude. He was a strong advocate for [Israel](/places/israel/)'s self-defense and self-reliance, driven by a private nightmare of a second Holocaust at the hands of the Arabs. He believed that [Israel](/places/israel/)'s security would come through its own capabilities, repeatedly linking the nation's security to its progress in science.[^1] Ben-Gurion was a key proponent of [Israel](/places/israel/) developing its own atomic reactor, utilizing indigenous natural uranium and locally manufactured heavy water. He publicly stated that nuclear energy would soon produce electricity and desalinated water to make the [Negev](/places/negev-desert/) desert bloom. However, his primary goal was the development of a nuclear bomb, with the public statements serving as a cover. He oversaw this effort with the aid of his protégé, [Shimon Peres](/people/shimon-peres/), and [Ernst David Bergmann](/people/ernst-david-bergmann/), who headed the Israeli Atomic Energy Commission under the direct jurisdiction of the defense ministry.[^1] Ben-Gurion, Peres, and Bergmann sought international allies and private financing from wealthy American and European Jews to fund the secret nuclear program, believing any other approach would compromise its secrecy.[^1] Despite publicly supporting the American position in the [Korean War](/events/korean-war/), Ben-Gurion's attempts to secure a regional security pact or inclusion under the American nuclear umbrella were unsuccessful. He even offered to send Israeli troops to fight alongside [United Nations](/organizations/united-nations/) forces in South Korea, an offer declined by President [Harry S. Truman](/people/harry-s-truman/) due to fears of backing into a security arrangement with [Israel](/places/israel/). Throughout [Eisenhower](/people/dwight-d-eisenhower/)'s presidency, [America](/places/united-states/) maintained an embargo on arms sales to [Israel](/places/israel/), further solidifying Ben-Gurion's conviction that [Israel](/places/israel/) needed an independent nuclear arsenal.[^1] Ben-Gurion's vision for [Israel](/places/israel/)'s nuclear program was not without internal opposition. Many senior members of the ruling [Mapai Party](/organizations/mapai-party/) viewed an Israeli bomb as suicidal, too expensive, and too reminiscent of the horrors of the Holocaust. However, Ben-Gurion held firm, especially regarding the French-Israeli nuclear cooperation. He believed that [Israel](/places/israel/)'s needs coincided perfectly with [France](/places/france/)'s, particularly in the early 1950s when both nations lacked the technical capacity to build a bomb independently.[^1] In late 1953, a disillusioned Ben-Gurion retired to his desert kibbutz at Sdeh Boker, near the future site of [Dimona](/places/dimona/). He believed he could revive the pioneering spirit of Israeli society by resettling in the desert. His political control over the [Mapai Party](/organizations/mapai-party/) remained absolute, and he decreed that his jointly held positions of prime minister and defense minister be separated and filled by his chosen successors, [Moshe Sharett](/people/moshe-sharett/) as the new prime minister and [Pinhas Lavon](/people/pinhas-lavon/) as defense minister. Ben-Gurion also arranged for [Moshe Dayan](/people/moshe-dayan/) to become the new army chief of staff, ensuring that Sharett's dovish policies would not go unchallenged.[^2] Ben-Gurion's immediate public mission after returning to office in 1955 was to restore the army's morale and public confidence. He was more convinced than ever that a policy of military reprisal was essential. Six days after taking office, on February 28, 1955, he authorized a large-scale retaliation against an Egyptian military camp at Gaza, led by [Ariel Sharon](/people/ariel-sharon/), in response to a cross-border attack by Palestinian guerrillas. This raid escalated tensions and ended secret contacts between Sharett and [Nasser](/people/gamal-abdel-nasser/).[^2] In late 1955, Ben-Gurion once again served as both defense minister and prime minister. With no international protest over the Canadian reactor sale, he decided in mid-September to formally seek French help for the Israeli bomb. He had already picked a location for the Israeli reactor in the basement of an old deserted winery at Rishon LeZion. He sent [Shimon Peres](/people/shimon-peres/) with [Ernst David Bergmann](/people/ernst-david-bergmann/) to [Paris](/places/paris/) to negotiate for a reactor.[^2] Ben-Gurion was pleased with [Charles de Gaulle](/people/charles-de-gaulle/)'s promises of continued military aid, but he was not willing to trade an Israeli bomb for French warplanes. He did nothing to change the status quo at [Dimona](/places/dimona/) after his meeting with de Gaulle, and privately owned French construction firms continued their vigorous presence at [Dimona](/places/dimona/) until 1966.[^2] [^1]: Hersh, Seymour M. *The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy*. Random House, 1991. Chapter 2. [^2]: Hersh, Seymour M. *The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy*. Random House, 1991. Chapter 3.