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10 - PEOPLE/(H-M)/John F. Kennedy.md

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+---
+tags:
+  - Person
+  - President
+  - Government
+  - USA
+  - Nuclear Nonproliferation
+  - Israel
+  - Dimona
+  - Cold War
+  - CIA
+  - Assassination
+  - Foreign Policy
+---
+John F. Kennedy was the 35th President of the [[United States]], serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was intellectually and emotionally committed to a halt in the spread of nuclear weapons, with nonproliferation being a topic he would discuss for hours.[^1]
+
+Kennedy's presidency was marked by a struggle with [[Israel]] over its nuclear ambitions, particularly concerning the [[Dimona]] reactor. He established himself as firmly opposed to the Israeli bomb, and his administration insisted on American inspection teams being permitted full and unfettered access to [[Dimona]]. This stance was met with resistance from [[David Ben-Gurion]] and [[Shimon Peres]], who sought to protect the secret.[^1]
+
+Kennedy continued to pressure [[David Ben-Gurion]] throughout 1962 about international inspection, receiving bland and irritating assurances that [[Israel]] had no intention of becoming an atomic power. He angrily told his friend [[Charles L. Bartlett]] that the Israelis "lie to me constantly about their nuclear capability." In what amounted to a direct move against Ben-Gurion's leadership, Kennedy invited Foreign Minister [[Golda Meir]], one of Ben-Gurion's leading critics, to his Palm Beach, Florida, home for a private talk in late December 1962. During this meeting, Kennedy made an extraordinary private commitment to [[Israel]]'s defense, stating that in case of an invasion, the [[United States]] would come to [[Israel]]'s support.[^2]
+
+Despite his tough stance, Kennedy's political needs, particularly the significant Jewish vote that contributed to his narrow victory in 1960, complicated his approach to Israeli issues. He appointed [[Myer Feldman]] as his presidential point man for Jewish and Israeli affairs, a position that created bureaucratic chaos due to Feldman's strong pro-Israel bias.[^1]
+
+Kennedy's relationship with [[David Ben-Gurion]] became increasingly strained due to the ongoing correspondence about [[Israel]]'s bomb program. Ben-Gurion's responses were often perceived as evasive and even rude by Kennedy. The President's apprehension about the Israeli bomb was a factor in his surprising appointment of [[John A. McCone]] as [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] director, who shared Kennedy's strong views on nonproliferation.[^1]
+
+In mid-1962, Kennedy's administration authorized the sale of Hawk surface-to-air missiles to [[Israel]], a major departure from past policy of selling no weaponry to [[Israel]]. This decision was linked to [[Israel]]'s agreement to permit American inspection teams into [[Dimona]], though these inspections were largely a whitewash, with [[Israel]] controlling the visits and concealing the true nature of the facility.[^1]
+
+Kennedy's persistent pressure on [[Israel]] stemmed from his belief that [[Israel]] had not yet developed any nuclear weapons and was not yet a proliferator. There is evidence that once [[Israel]] actually began manufacturing bombs, Kennedy was prepared to be pragmatic. While he remained resolutely opposed to a nuclear [[Israel]] to the end, he did change his mind about [[Charles de Gaulle|de Gaulle]]'s bombs. A memorandum from [[McGeorge Bundy]] to the President, dated November 22, 1963, the day of Kennedy's assassination, indicated a change in policy toward the French, suggesting cooperation and allowing them to use the [[Nevada]] test site for underground testing.[^2]
+
+### Footnotes
+
+[^1]: Hersh, Seymour M. *The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy*. Random House, 1991. Chapter 8.
+[^2]: Hersh, Seymour M. *The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy*. Random House, 1991. Chapter 9.