THE SAMSON OPTION | ISRAEL'S LAST-RESORT RETALIATION?
Global Affairs Session 59 25 June 2026 THE SAMSON OPTION: ISRAEL'S NUCLEAR GAME The existential doctrine of last resort Israel’s alleged last-resort nuclear doctrine, known as the Samson Option, is built around deterrence through the fear of a catastrophic response. Shaped by the historical trauma of the Holocaust and regional vulnerability, this strategy of intentional nuclear ambiguity aims to prevent war by making the cost of aggression entirely unacceptable.