This Day in History: Israel's First Nuclear Reactor Comes to Life

Israel is home to two nuclear research centers. The first, the 'Soreq Nuclear Research Center', began operations exactly 59 years ago on the 21st of Sivan, 5720. The center focuses on research and development for civilian purposes.

Established in 5718, the center started functioning, as mentioned, about two years later. Located near the estuary of Nahal Soreq, west of Yavne, it was built by the Israel Atomic Energy Commission. The establishment aimed to advance technological infrastructure for utilizing nuclear methods across various fields such as industry, electricity, agriculture, and medicine. The center was built around a nuclear reactor donated to Israel by the USA under the 'Atoms for Peace' program.

Today, besides the research reactor, the site also hosts research and development laboratories and a proton accelerator. The center is recognized as an expert in the field of electro-optics and instrumentation for the detection of suspicious objects, and it also engages in laser development, optical and ultrasonic testing methods, meteorological data identification, and more.