We’ve got plenty of corrections over the years after flagging throwaway references to Tel Aviv that falsely imply that it is Israel’s capital.
But it’s rare that the error appears as many times as it does in an article in The National Interest concerning Israeli weapons.
1 and 2.
Farley is probably correct in arguing that the Israel’s nuclear-tipped SLCMs are less practical than Tel Aviv’s other nuclear-delivery platforms.
(This sentence is repeated at the conclusion of the article.)
3.
Unofficially, Tel Aviv wants everyone to know it has them [nuclear weapons], and doesn’t hesitate to make thinly-veiled references to its willingness to use them if confronted by an existential threat.
4.
Estimates on the size of Tel Aviv’s nuclear stockpile range from 80 to 300 nuclear weapons, the latter number exceeding China’s arsenal.
5.
Though Israel is the only nuclear-armed state in the Middle East, Tel Aviv is preoccupied by the fear that an adversary might one day attempt a first strike to destroy its nuclear missiles and strike planes on the ground before they can retaliate.
6.
Instead, Tel Aviv went ahead and developed their own [cruise missiles].
Once could be careless but six times?
Tel Aviv is not where Israeli decision-making takes place. Israel’s government and legislature is located in its capital Jerusalem.
Whether or not one recognizes Jerusalem’s status, Tel Aviv is most definitely not Israel’s capital.
We’ve contacted The National Interest to point this out but you can help by adding your voice by emailing [email protected] making sure to include the hyperlink to the article.
