israel: The Unspoken Nuclear Power

israel has never signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
It has never “officially” acknowledged possessing nuclear weapons.
It is widely believed (by credible intelligence agencies and watchdogs) to have an arsenal of 80–400 nuclear warheads.
The U.S. and European powers maintain a policy of "strategic ambiguity" around israel’s arsenal, effectively shielding it from scrutiny.
israel is not subjected to IAEA inspections or international demands to disarm or disclose.
israel is currently in violation of over 140 UN resolutions.
israel continues its illegal occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Syrian Golan Heights, all territories designated as occupied under international law by the United Nations.
The construction and expansion of israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are in direct violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits the transfer of an occupying power’s civilian population into the territory it occupies.
israel has imposed a 16+ year blockade on Gaza, which the UN has described as "collective punishment" of over 2 million Palestinians and a violation of international humanitarian law.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2004 declared the israeli separation wall in the West Bank illegal, calling for its dismantlement and compensation to affected Palestinians. israel has ignored this ruling.
Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and multiple israeli NGOs have declared israel’s policies toward Palestinians to constitute apartheid, based on systemic domination and separation.
israel is the only country to have destroyed a nuclear reactor in another sovereign country (Iraq, 1981 and Syria, 2007) — both acts of unprovoked military aggression condemned but not sanctioned.
In 2023, israeli Heritage Minister Amihai Eliyahu publicly stated that using a nuclear bomb on Gaza was "an option", prompting public international concern but no formal reprimand from nuclear oversight bodies.
The Dimona nuclear facility in the Negev Desert operates outside of any international regulatory framework, and no IAEA inspectors have ever been allowed access.
israel maintains a doctrine of "nuclear opacity" (amimut), refusing to confirm or deny its arsenal, thereby evading both disarmament pressure and formal accountability.
Despite its undeclared nuclear arsenal, israel has vocally opposed Iran's peaceful nuclear energy program, lobbying for sanctions and potential military strikes.
The U.S. Congress passed legislation (the Symington and Glenn Amendments) prohibiting aid to countries with undeclared nuclear weapons programs — yet these laws are not applied to israel.

Iran: The Spotlight State

Iran is a signatory to the NPT.
Its nuclear program is regularly inspected by the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency).
Despite no proven evidence of a weapons program in recent years, Iran faces:
- Sanctions
- Threats of military action
- Assassinations of nuclear scientists
- Sabotage (e.g., Stuxnet cyberattack)
Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear energy — guaranteed under the NPT — is routinely challenged, especially by countries who themselves possess undeclared or unregulated weapons.

A Hard Truth:

The rules of the "rules-based order" may only apply to those outside the circle of power. Those inside make the rules, break them, and rewrite them as needed.