--- born: 1923-08-02 category: Key Figures died: 2016-09-28 location: Wiszniew, Poland summary: Peres's rise to influence began in late 1953, when David Ben-Gurion appointed the then thirty-year-old Shimon Peres as director general of the ministry of defense. tags: - Person - Nuclear - Israel --- [Shimon Peres](/people/shimon-peres/) was a prominent [Israeli](/places/israel/) politician who served as Defense Minister and later as Prime Minister. He was a key figure in Israel's political and military landscape for decades, playing particularly significant roles in the country's nuclear program and various covert operations.[^1] ### Early Career and Nuclear Program Leadership Peres's rise to influence began in late 1953, when [David Ben-Gurion](/people/david-ben-gurion/) appointed the then thirty-year-old Shimon Peres as director general of the ministry of defense. In this pivotal role, Peres, alongside [Ernst David Bergmann](/people/ernst-david-bergmann/), became instrumental in driving Israel's nuclear weapons program, which was publicly presented as research for peaceful purposes. Recognizing the financial challenges of such an ambitious undertaking, Peres, Ben-Gurion, and Bergmann sought private financing from wealthy American and European Jews to fund this secret endeavor.[^2] As the architect of Israel's nuclear ambitions, Peres was effectively the father of Israel's nuclear program in the mid-1950s. Working under David Ben-Gurion, he believed that Israel needed nuclear weapons as a deterrent against Arab countries. Understanding the technical requirements, Peres knew that no plutonium weapon could be made without a reprocessing plant, and that its construction was impossible without French commitment.[^2] Peres also insisted on the creation of a new intelligence agency, initially known as the Office of Special Tasks, to provide security for the burgeoning nuclear operation at [Dimona](/places/dimona/). This office, handpicked by Peres and led by [Binyamin Blumberg](/people/binyamin-blumberg/), was bureaucratically placed inside the defense ministry and would later become known as [LAKAM](/organizations/lakam/).[^3] ### International Nuclear Partnerships Peres's diplomatic efforts proved crucial in securing international support for Israel's nuclear program. He traveled to [France](/places/france/) to secure assistance for Israel's nuclear ambitions, and in 1956, he flew to France to secure a weapons-grade nuclear reactor and technology for a nuclear bomb from [President Charles de Gaulle](/people/charles-de-gaulle/). Beyond the French connection, Peres also arranged for the sale of high-performance French bombers to Israel in 1955, bypassing diplomatic niceties.[^2] Expanding Israel's nuclear partnerships further, Peres initiated military cooperation with [South Africa](/places/south-africa/) in 1959. This arrangement involved South Africa selling uranium to Israel and later financing parts of Israel's nuclear program, creating a mutually beneficial relationship that would support Israel's nuclear development for years to come.[^1] ### Controversies and Covert Operations Peres's career was not without scandal. In 1976, a telegram intercepted by [Unit 8200](/organizations/unit-8200/) revealed details of bribes paid by a [Lockheed](/organizations/lockheed-aircraft-company/) representative in Israel to Defense Minister Peres. The sum involved was $3.5 million, deposited in one of Peres's brother's business accounts in Europe. This damaging information, discovered by [Ari Ben-Menashe](/people/ari-ben-menashe/), was subsequently covered up by Israeli military intelligence superiors.[^1] The 1980s brought new controversies involving arms sales to [Iran](/places/iran/). In 1980, [William J. Casey](/people/william-j-casey/) invited Peres, then [Labor Party](/organizations/labor-party/) leader, to participate in secret meetings concerning arms sales to Iran. Peres secretly met with [Mehdi Karrubi](/people/mehdi-karrubi/) in Madrid, actions that drew sharp criticism when they came to light. When [Menachem Begin](/people/menachem-begin/) learned of this unauthorized diplomacy, he warned Peres that such actions without government knowledge would be considered treason.[^1] ### Prime Ministerial Tenure and Arms Trading In 1984, Peres became Prime Minister as part of a bizarre coalition agreement with [Yitzhak Shamir](/people/yitzhak-shamir/) of the [Likud Party](/organizations/likud-party/), where they would share the roles of prime minister and foreign minister. During his tenure as prime minister (1984-1986), Peres appointed [Amiram Nir](/people/amiram-nir/) as his counterterrorism adviser, a decision that would have significant implications for Israel's covert operations.[^1] During this period, Peres sought to expand Israel's involvement in international arms trading. He worked to open a competing arms channel to Iran to gain control over the profitable arms sales and to undermine the [existing intelligence-community channel](/organizations/iran-israel-joint-committee/). This involvement extended to the broader [U.S.](/places/united-states/) policy of arming both Iran and [Iraq](/places/iraq/), with Peres encouraging Bruce Rappaport to buy military equipment from Israel and divert it to Iraq.[^1] Despite his involvement in these controversial arms dealings, Peres also supported diplomatic initiatives, including the idea of a peace conference with the Palestinians. However, this proposal was blocked by Yitzhak Shamir and the Likud Party, reflecting the ongoing political tensions within Israel's coalition government.[^1] ### Later Political Developments The legacy of Peres's covert operations continued to create complications even after his prime ministerial tenure. Nir's death in 1988 was believed by Israeli intelligence to be a [CIA](/organizations/central-intelligence-agency/) operation to prevent his testimony from embarrassing Peres, [Ronald Reagan](/people/ronald-reagan/), or [George H.W. Bush](/people/george-hw-bush/), highlighting the international ramifications of the arms trading networks Peres had helped establish.[^1] Peres's long political career eventually faced a significant setback in 1992, when he was ousted as leader of the Labor Party by [Yitzhak Rabin](/people/yitzhak-rabin/), who then replaced Yitzhak Shamir as prime minister after the national elections, marking the end of an era in Israeli politics.[^1] [^1]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. _Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network_. TrineDay, 1992. [^2]: Hersh, Seymour M. _The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy_. Random House, 1991. Chapter 2.