Israel is moving ahead with a landmark proposal to build its first-ever nuclear power plant, with a site near Shivta in the Negev Desert selected by the Energy and Infrastructure Ministry as the preferred location. The plan, which marks a major shift in the country’s long-term energy strategy, is set for initial review next week by the Southern Regional Planning and Building Committee. If approved, the facility would position Israel among a small group of nations operating civilian nuclear energy programs. However, the project faces steep logistical, diplomatic, and environmental hurdles—starting with the fact that Israel is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), complicating efforts to procure nuclear technology and fuel. The ministry’s recommendation to site the reactor near Shivta followed a review of alternative locations, including Nitzanim, Beit Guvrin, and the Besor region, which were ruled out due to environmental, strategic, and security concerns. Officials said Shivta was chosen due to its distance from seismic fault lines and sparse population density. But that selection has triggered backlash from the Ramat Negev Regional Council and nearby communities, who say they were excluded from the decision-making process and fear the plant could endanger thousands of residents. “This decision is based on outdated data from 40 years ago,” said Oren Peretz, the council’s chief engineer. “There has been no updated feasibility study or public consultation.” Community leaders argue that placing a nuclear facility in a region already designated as a wartime evacuation zone is reckless. Mayors and council heads from Ofakim, Eshkol, and Merhavim jointly warned that the region, still recovering from the trauma of October 7, should not be subjected to additional threats. Critics also question the need for a nuclear plant in a country that has rapidly expanded solar energy production. “At a time when renewable energy is advancing and dual-use infrastructure is thriving, why introduce a high-risk facility that brings more questions than answers?” Peretz said. Among the unresolved challenges: which country would build the reactor, where its fuel would come from, and how it would be cooled in the desert environment. While France remains one of the few countries still exporting nuclear technology, Israel’s non-NPT status may deter cooperation from many others. Despite those obstacles, the Energy Ministry insists that modern nuclear technology offers robust safety protections. A ministry document says that new-generation reactors are “designed with extremely high safety standards for populations living near nuclear power stations.” Still, with no formal agreements in place and growing opposition from southern municipalities, the fate of Israel’s first nuclear power plant remains uncertain—at least for now. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)