Israel's Samson Option (Updated)
Nuclear Apocalypse and the fangs of "Never Again"
(Updated July 2024)
This article along with another (linked) article titled, “Gog-Magog and the Armies of Satan,” were first published by Rational Spirituality days following the start of Israel’s war with Hamas last October 7th. Since that time, our subscriber base has tripled. Thank you!
Accordingly, I have updated and re-published both pieces (the Gog-Magog article is linked at the conclusion of this one).
Yesterday, Tuesday July 30th, Israel attacked a suburb of Beirut, Lebanon. Link: IDF kills top Hezbollah commander in Beirut in response to deadly Majdal Shams attack This escalation has increased the prospect of a wider regional war and brought the prophesized Gog-Magog scenario to the forefront. The escalation also raises concerns regarding the use of nuclear weapons and Israel’s Samson Option.
Even more bold, today Israel assassinated Hamas’ political leader Ismail Haniyeh in the heart of the Iranian capital, Tehran. Haniyeh was attending the inauguration of Iran’s newly elected president.
Presently, Israel seems poised for conflict with Iran, mirroring the U.S.'s apparent eagerness for confrontation with Russia. This juncture is fraught with peril, reminiscent of the tense days in 1962.
In the shadow of today’s geopolitical tension, the specter of a looming WWIII evokes echoes of the not-so-distant past. Sixty years ago, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the world, for the first time, teetered on the brink of nuclear catastrophe and mutually assured destruction (MAD).1
As a radio announcer in 1962, I vividly recall the palpable fear, the constant monitoring of the AP teletype machine, clicking away in a tiny adjacent room. And the haunting question: Would reason prevail or would chaos consume us all?
The teletype machine has since been replaced by the internet, the question lingers, and the fear is more palpable, if that were possible.
Today, as we anxiously revisit these uncertainties, the lessons from that pivotal moment in history remain urgently relevant. Or do they?
In 1962, Presidents Kennedy and Khrushchev cautiously walked the world back from the brink. Today is different. Leaders in Washington, Tel Aviv, and servile European capitals seem appallingly resolute in marching the world head first into the abyss.
It is widely acknowledged, though officially unconfirmed, that Israel commands a substantial nuclear arsenal, with estimates ranging to 200 warheads. This robust nuclear capability underpins Israel’s strategy of deterrence, which asserts the readiness to deploy these weapons if presented with an existential threat — a posture reminiscent of the position taken by the U.S. Joint Chiefs during those tense 13 days in October 1962. General Curtis LeMay, Air Force Chief of Staff, was jumping to pull the trigger (see the movie trailer in the footnotes).
Again recalling my broadcasting career, in 1968 I was War News Editor of the American Forces Vietnam Network in Saigon. During a battle in the Mekong Delta south of Saigon, a hamlet had been destroyed by U.S. Forces in the Tet Offensive. A U.S. officer was quoted by the AP’s Peter Arnett as insisting, “We had to destroy the village in order to save it.”
The Army’s flirtation with “scorched Earth” tactics during the Tet Offensive lends context to our scrutiny of Israel's Samson Option. The doctrine states that should Israel be faced with an imminent, existential threat, it is prepared, even compelled, to launch its nuclear weapons. Had the villagers of Ben Tre, South Vietnam, possessed such capability, they well may have done the same thing.
Regardless of how Americans might “feel” about the most recent Middle East war, one thing is certain: unlike Ben Tre, Israel will never passively allow itself to be annihilated.
The Samson Option
The name refers to the ancient Biblical figure of Samson, an Israeli judge, who in an act of final defiance, pushed apart the pillars of a Philistine temple, bringing down the roof on himself and the thousands of Philistines who had captured him. The story is recounted in the Book of Judges (16:30). By analogy, the ‘Samson Option’ envisions Israel "bringing down the temple" upon itself and its enemies, if threatened with assured annihilation.
Existence of the Samson Option has not been officially confirmed by the Israeli government — Israel has a policy of deliberate ambiguity regarding its nuclear capability. Moreover, Israel neither confirms nor denies that it possesses nuclear weapons, although it is widely believed to maintain a substantial at-the-ready arsenal.
Some high-profile individuals, including Martin van Creveld, professor of military history at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, have alluded on record to the Samson Option. He asserts that the very existence of such a drastic measure acts as a deterrent against attacks on Israel.
Perhaps. Iran’s attack on Israel in April 2024 injected nuance into Israel’s claims of deterrence dominance. Iran was able to penetrate Israel’s much-vaunted Iron Dome defenses with precision.
The Samson Option has been the subject of considerable debate and criticism. While it might well serve as a deterrent, it also is a deeply problematic and risky strategy. This is because of the catastrophic implications of its use — not just for Israel and the Middle East, but potentially the entire world. The use of nuclear weapons in the Middle East (by any nation) could start WWIII.
In 1962, had Russian ships transporting missiles and other weaponry to Cuba run America’s naval “embargo” (blockade), that too could have triggered WWIII.
Seymour Hersh's 1991 book, The Samson Option, delves into the history of Israel's nuclear strategy, focusing on how the country cultivated its nuclear program for last-resort use in the event of an existential threat. Here is a brief summary.
Key Points
Secrecy and Deception - Hersh outlines how Israel managed to keep its nuclear program under wraps for years, despite being under close international scrutiny.
International Collaboration - The book details Israel's collaborations with countries like France to develop its nuclear program, often in secret, even as it was officially denying the existence of any such program.
The Role of Individuals - Important figures in the Israeli government and military, such as David Ben-Gurion, Shimon Peres and others, are discussed in terms of their roles in making the nuclear program a reality.
Ambiguity as Policy - As I mentioned, Israel has never officially confirmed nor denied its nuclear capabilities, a policy of ambiguity that, according to Hersh, serves its interests by deterring potential aggressors without explicitly breaking international laws or norms.
Deterrent or Offensive - Hersh discusses the ethical and strategic implications of Israel having a nuclear arsenal. Is it purely for deterrence, or could it also potentially be used offensively? The Samson Option raises complex ethical questions.
International Reactions - The book explores how other nations, particularly the United States, have reacted to rumors and evidence of Israel's nuclear capabilities, balancing political and strategic considerations. His thorough exploration travels back to the Lyndon Johnson presidency and the ascendance of the Military-Industrial Complex.
The Existential Question - At the heart of the Samson Option is the existential question for Israel - what lengths is it willing to go to in order to survive in a region where it has so many adversaries? We live in a world increasingly forgetful of the horrors that Jews experienced during WWII.
The geopolitical landscape changes rapidly and hurls topics that once seemed remote into top-of-mind relevance. While the Samson Option is considered a last-resort scenario, its theoretical and strategic implications, though valuable for assessing broader issues in international relations, must now be factored into today’s volatile Middle East calculus.
Two distinct, yet equally pivotal, analyses vis-à-vis 1962 are useful to fully wrap one’s head around the potential trajectory of events.
The first is mundane and geopolitical: The U.S. could not allow nuclear missiles under an enemy’s control some 90 miles from Miami — the Monroe Doctrine.
The Israeli-Hamas-Hezbollah-Houthis war evokes a second, less common spiritual and prophetic analysis, which is equally important in my opinion. It appeals to the authority and messianic prophecies in the Torah and Christian Bible.
The Gog - Magog War
I wrote in detail about the second analysis in a previous article, updated and linked below. Briefly, the current Middle East war could easily go off the rails and escalate into a regional conflict. Such an escalation could then quickly devolve into the biblically prophesied Gog-Magog War. If so, we could reasonably anticipate that Israel would invoke the Samson Option, as it would face multiple existential threats simultaneously.
A new complication has emerged. Some experts now believe that in addition to its nuclear arsenal, Israel possesses neutron bombs and is preparing to deploy them against Hezbollah. Clearly, the IDF is presently incapable of launching a successful ground invasion of Lebanon. Either advanced weaponry or immediate U.S. assistance — or both — would be necessary.
A neutron bomb, also known as an enhanced radiation weapon (ERW), is a type of low-yield, tactical thermonuclear weapon. An ERW’s design aims to maximize lethal neutron radiation in the immediate vicinity of the blast, while minimizing the physical power of the blast itself.
Unlike traditional nuclear weapons, which cause devastating blast and heat damage, a neutron bomb intentionally allows the neutron release generated by nuclear fusion to escape the weapon. This neutron burst is effective at penetrating enemy armor, making it more lethal as a tactical weapon, not to mention its anti-personnel capabilities.
The concept was originally developed by the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. ERWs were first deployed for anti-ballistic missile systems, where the burst of neutrons would prevent nearby warheads from exploding properly.
Scott Ritter, a former U.S. Marine intelligence officer and UN weapons inspector, speculated that Israel might well lead with such weaponry should it decide to attack Lebanon preemptively. Several reliable sources, including former UK diplomat Alastair Crooke, have confirmed over the last few days that the Deep State Cabal gave Israel the ‘green light’ to proceed against Lebanon.
We also know from Biblical sources that God intends to assert his will in the final stage of the Gog-Magog conflict.
Then I will knock the bow out of your left hand, and cause the arrows to fall out of your right hand. You shall fall upon the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the peoples who are with you; I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. You shall fall on the open field; for I have spoken, says the Lord God.
Ezekiel 39:3-5
(Also updated July 2024:)
Gog, Magog, and the Armies of Satan
First Published October 20, 2023
I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from my mouth and warn them for me. ~ Ezekiel 33:7 The biblical narrative of Gog and Magog, which is found in Genesis, 1 Chronicles and Ezekiel in the Old Testament and the book of Revelation in the New Testament, has been interpreted in various ways …
Read full text
I encourage anyone unfamiliar with the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis to watch Thirteen Days, an excellent docudrama (2020) starring Kevin Costner.
Thanks.
I wrote of the Gog/Magog in ANCIENT SHOCK, where they are portrayed as major players in the Levant's Neanderthal-Sapiens hybrid development. These contained the sexual incubus/succubus creatures, who often preyed upon humans (sapiens).
Perhaps having 5-15% Neanderthal DNA, the Levant was the hotspot for such DNA, according to genetic studies.
They were driven out. Later, these became the Mongols (Magog). The Mongols actually claim Magog's as their ancestors.
Gog/Magog also went to Britain, where they were either hero's or monsters, depending upon several factors.
In the Jewish traditional lore, King David mated with one of them: Aghat Bat Mahot.
I consider Aghat to be an early form of Ogre.
A son was born...Asmodeus....a horrid looking creature...considered a monster by the Jews.
Peace and Health.
I believe gog and magog are Turkey and Iran vice the more widely taught theory that it is Russia and Iran.
Turkey has recently stated they will go into Israel if the Lebanon conflict widens.
President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that Turkey might enter Israel as it had done in the past in Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh, though he did not spell out what sort of intervention he was suggesting.