Looking Back

From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History

accessible at www.djnfoundation.org

62 | JULY 29 • 2021 

Israel’s Long
Fight Against
Nuclear Threats
I

recently wrote about Israel’s 
spectacular rescue mission at the 
Entebbe airport in 1976. It was 
a memorable, historic operation 
that inspired movies, books and 
massive worldwide 
recognition. Five 
years later, on June 7, 
1981, Israel conducted 
another dramatic raid 
— “Operation Opera” 
— an event with a far-
reaching impact. 
“Operation Opera” 
was a preemptive strike 
that destroyed the Osirak nuclear 
plant in Iraq. Eight Israeli fighter jets 
flew more than 2,000 miles to bomb 
and destroy the unfinished reactor. It 
was a most dangerous mission: The 
pilots were not sure they would safely 
return to Israel. Last month, the IDF 
archive opened additional documents 
related to the strike, including the 
rough sketches that were drawn for 
the fighter pilots to simulate what 
they would see upon reaching the 
reactor. Effective enough but hardly 
like the hi-tech images the IDF uses 
today.
The story of the strike and its 
impact upon the Middle East can be 
followed in the William Davidson 
Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit 
History. 
The headline on the front page 
of the June 12, 1981, issue of the JN
reads “Israel Staunchly Unanimous on 
Right to Pre-Emptive Raid.” Indeed, 
Israeli Prime Minister Menachem 
Begin acknowledged the strike as an 

act of self-defense, that 
it was “now or never.” 
Moreover, he stated that 
Iraqi dictator Saddam 
Hussein would have 
had “no hesitation” at 
dropping “three or four 
or five” nuclear bombs 
on Israel. 
The JN’s editorial on 
July 7, 1981, was “The 
Honor of Self-Defense.” 
It began with “Israel rendered such 
an immense service to humanity 
with the Osirak bombing that the 
occurrence will continue to dominate 
international discussions.” It was an 
accurate assessment.
Initially, the raid was condemned 
internationally by media and 
politicians around the globe. But the 
June 19, 1981, headline in the JN was 
“Reagan Concedes Israel Raid Was 
a Sincere Defensive Act.” President 
Ronald Reagan added: “It is difficult 
for me to envision Israel as being a 
threat to its neighbors.”
Begin did set a significant 
precedent. Under an existential threat 
since its founding, Israel would take 
whatever measures it thought prudent 
to protect itself. 
Begin’s decision is still relevant 
years later. For example, see 
“Deterrent” (Sept. 20, 2007, JN). This 
analysis addresses the question, “Was 
the Israeli Strike in Syria a repeat 
of the 1981 Osirak hit?” Israel had 
attacked a Syrian nuclear reactor 
on Sept. 5-6, 2007. Thirty years 
ago, Helen Davis wrote “Nuclear 

Explosion” about the Islamic 
quest for an atomic bomb (Oct. 4, 
1991). Or see the essay “Bomb Iran?” 
(Dec. 15, 2005). The Iranian pursuit 
of nuclear capability is still a hot and 
serious topic.
Davie Ivry, commander of the IDF 
in 1981, who directed the airstrike on 
the Iraqi nuclear reactor at Osirak, 
reached a conclusion that still rings 
true: “You cannot eliminate an idea, 
a national will. But you can delay 
progress on a nuclear program with 
the appropriate military action.” 
After seeing the effects of the 
Iran/Iraqi war, Saddam Hussein’s 
dictatorship in Iraq, the actions of 
Syrian leaders, and Iran’s promotion 
of terrorism with the goal of 
destroying Israel, Ivry and Begin 
clearly understood the reality of 
living in Israel’s neighborhood. And, 
the production of nuclear arms is no 
longer just a local issue.

Want to learn more? Go to the DJN 
Foundation archives, available for free at 
www.djnfoundation.org.

Mike Smith
Alene and 
Graham Landau 
Archivist Chair

It began with “Israel rendered such 
an immense service to humanity 
Explosion” about the Islamic 

