Even off-hand talk about Israel’s nuclear option is obscene

The “real” chances of a nuclear hit-back from Israel, driven by desperation in an existential crisis, are generally considered low due to conventional military superiority and US backing, but are not zero. Such a move is associated with the Samson Option – an unconfirmed, last-resort doctrine of massive retaliation, named after the biblical figure who died while destroying his enemies.  As of March 2026, amid intense, multi-front conflict involving Iran, the “Samson Option” has returned to focus as a potential, though catastrophic, tool of last resort.  The “Samson Option” doctrine suggests that if Israel’s existence is threatened, or its conventional defenses fail against a massive, overwhelming attack, it would use its nuclear arsenal rather than face destruction. The doctrine is specifically […]