Israel's president denies offering South Africa nukes
The Israeli president on Monday categorically denied a report that he offered nuclear warheads to South Africa in 1975, when he was defense minister.
The report published Sunday by British newspaper The Guardian is based on an American academic's research and claims to cite secret minutes of Shimon Peres' meeting with senior South African officials discussing the issue.
Peres said Israel has never negotiated the transfer of nuclear weapons to South Africa.
"There exists no basis in reality for the claims published ... by The Guardian that in 1975 Israel negotiated with South Africa the exchange of nuclear weapons," the president said in an English-language statement. "Unfortunately, The Guardian elected to write its piece based on the selective interpretation of South African documents and not on concrete facts....
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The report published Sunday by British newspaper The Guardian is based on an American academic's research and claims to cite secret minutes of Shimon Peres' meeting with senior South African officials discussing the issue.
Peres said Israel has never negotiated the transfer of nuclear weapons to South Africa.
"There exists no basis in reality for the claims published ... by The Guardian that in 1975 Israel negotiated with South Africa the exchange of nuclear weapons," the president said in an English-language statement. "Unfortunately, The Guardian elected to write its piece based on the selective interpretation of South African documents and not on concrete facts....