---
born: 1925
category: Nuclear Scientists & Programs
location: New York City, New York, USA
summary: Director of international affairs for the Atomic Energy Commission during
  the period Israel's nuclear program was exposed in 1960.
tags:
- Person
- Nuclear
- Israel
---

Myron B. Kratzer was the director of international affairs for the [AEC](/organizations/atomic-energy-commission/) in December 1960. He recalled being telephoned a few hours before [John A. McCone](/people/john-a-mccone/)'s farewell appearance on *Meet the Press* by a [State Department](/organizations/state-department/) colleague, who urged him to ask McCone to downplay the Israeli nuclear issue. McCone, however, refused, stating he would not "tell anything less than the truth."[^1]

[^1]: Hersh, Seymour M. *The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy*. Random House, 1991. Chapter 6.