The city of Dimona is located in the Negev Desert in southern Israel - and it hides an open secret. To find out this secret, one look at Google Maps is enough - a few kilometers from Dimona is a place marked on the map as "Negev Nuclear Research Center", writes Jan-Christoph Kitzler in a report for the German public media ARD.
It is an open secret that Israel has nuclear weapons
Because of this facility, the city of Dimona has probably been a potential target for Iranian missiles and drones in recent days. Because Israel also has a nuclear program. And because it is an open secret that the country possesses nuclear weapons.
In Dimona, where 43,000 people live, people only talk about the research center in code words, ARD reports. The facility's code name is "the textile factory".
"We are not responsible for this, the textile factory is responsible", says the city's mayor, Benjamin Biton. "They have their own people, their own topics. They keep us informed. But I can reassure everyone: thank God, Dimona is a very, very safe city. There is no room for concern."
Because of the war, the local administration has been moved to a new building, which is actually an above-ground bunker. In front of the ARD team, the mayor of Dimona proudly shows the large screens on which images from a total of 600 cameras located in the settlement can be seen.
With the push of a button, the mayor of the city can quickly understand how events are developing in the event of a missile strike. "This is my operations center. Every morning, all the heads of the administration gather here." The military and rescue and social services also participate in discussions of the current situation.
Biton was born here. He says that in recent days he has not slept much because of the air raids. Daniela, who has lived in Dimona for 27 years, also suffers from them. The woman is originally from Krefeld, Germany. And she has somehow come to terms with the current situation. Since October 7, she has always carried a small backpack with her. It contains two passports, jewelry, a small photo album, medicine for a month and a half and a change of clothes. "I always carry these things with me. You never know what might happen and how long you might be stranded somewhere. It's sad, but I don't go out without my little backpack."
Daniela doesn't want to talk about the "textile factory", which has probably been one of Iran's targets in recent days. "When there's an international crisis, the place is of strategic interest." On the other hand, Daniela feels very safe in Dimona. "You can't even sneeze here without being noticed," the woman says.
"Everything is fine here"
Biton has big plans for Dimona. He wants to double the population in the next ten years. The city is attractive not only to people who work in the so-called "textile factory", says the mayor and adds: "I say what I can say: a number of residents of the city or their parents work there and are completely calm".
There is no reason for concern, Biton continues to assure. "This facility has existed since the 1960s. We are proud of it. It is very important to us and does not interfere with us. We are completely calm - the citizens and I as mayor. I know a lot and I can assure you that everything is fine."
However, the highest level of security continues to apply around the research center, which is part of the Israeli nuclear program. And the locals continue to call it "the textile factory".
Author: Jan-Christoph Kitzler (ARD)