The Israel Atomic Energy Commission (IAEC; ) is the governmental authority responsible for the
State of Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
's activities in the
nuclear
Nuclear may refer to:
Physics
Relating to the nucleus of the atom:
*Nuclear engineering
*Nuclear physics
*Nuclear power
*Nuclear reactor
*Nuclear weapon
*Nuclear medicine
*Radiation therapy
*Nuclear warfare
Mathematics
* Nuclear space
*Nuclear ...
field.
History
The establishment of the Israel Atomic Energy Commission was announced on 13 June 1952 by
Prime Minister
A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
David Ben-Gurion
David Ben-Gurion ( ; ; born David Grün; 16 October 1886 – 1 December 1973) was the primary List of national founders, national founder and first Prime Minister of Israel, prime minister of the State of Israel. As head of the Jewish Agency ...
. The prime minister appointed Professor
Ernst David Bergmann to be its first director-general. Initially the committee was housed in temporary structures near
Rehovot
Rehovot (, / ) is a city in the Central District (Israel), Central District of Israel, about south of Tel Aviv. In it had a population of .
Etymology
Israel Belkind, founder of the Bilu (movement), Bilu movement, proposed the name "Rehovot ...
and is now located in
Ramat Aviv. It oversaw the establishment of the
Soreq Nuclear Research Center, the construction of which started in 1958 and the
Negev Nuclear Research Center that began construction in late 1959.
Functions
The IAEC advises the government of Israel in areas of nuclear policy and in setting priorities in nuclear research and development.
The commission implements governmental policies and represents Israel in international organizations in the nuclear field, such as the
International Atomic Energy Agency
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear technology, nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. It was ...
. The IAEC maintains relationships with relevant national authorities of other countries.
See also
*
Nuclear weapons and Israel
Israel is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons. Estimates of Israel's stockpile range between 90 and 400 nuclear warheads, and the country is believed to possess a nuclear triad of delivery options: by F-15 and F-16 fighters, by Dolphin- ...
*
Nuclear energy in Israel
References
External links
Official site
Nuclear technology in Israel
Governmental nuclear organizations
Government agencies established in 1952
Nuclear regulatory organizations
Israeli nuclear development
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