'Israel can live with Iranian nuclear bomb'

Space Agency head: Public discourse on Iran is misinformed, damaging; "One nuclear bomb won't destroy a state, not even a neighborhood."

Iranian nuclear program 311 (R) (photo credit: REUTERS)
Iranian nuclear program 311 (R)
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Israel can live with an Iranian nuclear bomb, head of the Israeli Space Agency Professor Yitzhak Ben Yisrael said on Wednesday in an interview with Globes.
Speaking a day after the release of an IAEA report detailing Iran's efforts at weapons development, Ben Yisrael explained, "One nuclear bomb won't destroy a state, not even a neighborhood in Tel Aviv. An atomic bomb like the one the Iranians want to build has a radius of 500 meters of death and destruction, and 1,000 meters of lighter damage."
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Saying that the public isn't familiar with the the actual implications of a nuclear bomb, Ben Yisrael contended that "It isn't sexy to speak about it. It's sexier to ask when we are going to attack Iran and from what direction."
According to the agency head, public discourse on Iran's nuclear program may be damaging to Israel.
"The public can't be experts on bombs or military capabilities. They are asking too many questions about whether or not we can attack Iran militarily, if it's right to attack Iran, and at what hour to attack. These questions are asked of the public although they don't have the necessary information," Ben Yisrael explained.
"In order to have such a discussion [with the public], we'd need to release classified information, capabilities and resources. So this type of discussion doesn't have any value."
Click here for full Jpost coverage of the Iranian threat
Click here for full Jpost coverage of the Iranian threat