France & Israel.

This is coolbert:

An extract from the wiki entry for French nuclear weapons development:

 "In 1986 Francis Perrin, French high-commissioner for atomic energy from 1951 to 1970 stated publicly that in 1949 Israeli scientists were invited to the Saclay nuclear research facility, this cooperation leading to a joint effort including sharing of knowledge between French and Israeli scientists especially those with knowledge from the Manhattan Project. In 1956 as part their military alliance during the Suez Crisis the French agreed to secretly build the Dimona nuclear reactor in Israel and soon after agreed to construct a reprocessing plant for the extraction of plutonium at the site . . . while France was previously a leader in nuclear research [prior to the Second World War] 'Israel and France were at a similar level of expertise after the war, and Israeli scientists could make significant contributions to the French effort. Progress in nuclear science and technology in France and Israel remained closely linked throughout the early fifties. Israeli scientists probably helped construct the G-1 plutonium production reactor and UP-1 reprocessing plant at Marcoule.'"

French nuclear research and development prior to the Second World War [WW2] the BEST and most ADVANCED in the world?

And portions of such research continuing under the Vichy regime as well at the behest of the German. The French had quite of bit of knowledge of nuclear weapons development and apparently were quite willing to share a lot with the Israeli.

That involvement of the Israeli an interest in nuclear weapons development even prior to 1951!. NOT even one full year it would seem after the Israeli War of Independence were the French and Israeli in collaboration.

Collaboration even beyond that of the TOTAL PACKAGE deal for a reactor, processing plant, and missile delivery system.

I had thought also perhaps the French Pluton missile was based on the MD-620 as originally designed for the Israeli, but that is not the case, Pluton much shorter range and strictly tactical.

That wall of opacity as created by the Israeli and guarding their nuclear weapons the general public only ever gets a brief and imprecise glimpse through and don't be to sure about what you see either!

[P.S. Within that context Israeli involvement in the French nuclear program not merely peripheral but integral and can even be seen as essential?]

coolbert.