The other day the Washington Post’s ombudsman, Patrick Pexton, published a brave column asking, What about Israel’s nuclear weapons? Pexton wondered why there is such a bar on addressing the arsenal in our press. Grant Smith, of the Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy, explains the ramifications of this blackout in a letter he sent to Pexton:

Israel’s nuclear arsenal is primarily used to coerce the United States to provide enough benefits that they will never have to be used. If the Washington Post chose to better serve its readers, this analysis would become an integral part of the Iran crisis story.

For instance, Smith has written, Israel’s nuclear program, and the secrecy surrounding it, have allowed Israel to avoid making any deals with the Palestinians to end the conflict. And I have long maintained that Obama caved on the settlements issue because Israel presented him with far bigger fish to fry: they were threatening to attack Iran, and that’s the last thing Obama wanted.

Smith’s letter to Pexton, which he shared with us: