In 2005 Wikipedia's first sentence called it “term used to describe israel ’s alleged deterrence strategy of massive retaliation with nuclear weapons as a “l”. Today it says “deterrence strategy of massive retaliation with nuclear weapons as a "last resort" against any country whose mi”.
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Machine-checked against the full current article on 2026-08-03.
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The opening as it read in 2010
Samson Option is a term used to describe Israel ’s alleged deterrence strategy of massive retaliation with nuclear weapons as a “last resort” against nations whose military attacks threaten its existence, and possibly against other targets as well. Israel refuses to admit it has nuclear weapons or to describe how it would use them, an official policy of nuclear ambiguity , also known as "nuclear opacity." This has made it difficult for anyone outside the Israeli government to definitively describe its true nuclear policy, while still allowing Israel to influence the perceptions, strategies and actions of other governments. As early as 1976, the CIA believed that Israel possessed 10 to 20 nuclear weapons. By 2002 it was estimated that the number had increased to between 75 and 200 thermonuclear weapons, each in the multiple-megaton range. Brower has estimated as many as 400 nuclear weapons. These can be launched from land, sea and air. This gives Israel a second strike option even if much of the country is destroyed. The term "Samson Option" has also been used more generally in reference to Israel's nuclear program. Commentators have also employed the term in reference to situations where non-nuclear, non-Israeli actors, such as Saddam Hussein , Yassir Arafat and Hezbollah have threatened conventional weapons retaliation—and even regarding former United States President George W. The Dynamics of Middle East Nuclear Proliferation,” Chapter 9, 187-212, edited by Steven L. Kristensen , and Joshua Handler. "Israeli nuclear forces, 2002," Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 58:5 (September/October 2002): 73-75. A Propensity for Conflict: Potential Scenarios and Outcomes of War in the Middle East,” Jane's Intelligence Review, Special Report no. 14, (February 1997), 14-15. Douglas Frantz, Israel Adds Fuel to Nuclear Dispute, Officials confirm that the nation can now launch atomic weapons from land, sea and air , Los Angeles Times , Sunday, October 12, 2003. The Samson Option: The story behind one of the world's worst-kept secrets: the Jewish state's atomic arsenal” , a review of Michael Karpin’s book “The Bomb in the Basement” in the Washington Post , February 19, 2006, BW03; Press Release: Syndicated Radio Talk Show Host Paul McGuire Has Called President Bush To More Actively Support The Nation Of Israel, And Work For Peace In The Middle East , July 2, 2006. Herb Keinon, Selling the 'Samson option' .1The Samson Option, Is Hezbollah on the verge of destroying Lebanon?2
This is Wikipedia's own text, saved in our repository. Their copy of it is revision 365528672.
The opening as it stood in 2015 16 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Samson in the Temple of Dagon, destroying his enemies, and himself The Samson Option is the name that some military analysts and authors have given to Israel 's deterrence strategy of massive retaliation with nuclear weapons as a "last resort" if military attacks threaten its existence.Commentators also have employed the term to refer to situations where non-nuclear, non-Israeli actors, have threatened conventional weapons retaliation.Two examples have been given: Yassir Arafat and Hezbollah .The name is a reference to the biblical figure Samson who pushed apart the pillars of a Philistine temple, bringing down the roof and killing himself and thousands of Philistines who had captured him, crying out "Let me die with the Philistines!" ( Judges 16:30 ).Keinon, Herb (January 31, 2002), "Selling the 'Samson option' " , The Jerusalem post .Young, Michael (August 7, 2006), "The Samson Option: Is Hezbollah on the verge of destroying Lebanon?" , Slate Magazine .
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 668957534.
The opening as it stood in 2020 1 passage from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Israel's deterrence strategy of massive retaliation with nuclear weapons For the 1991 book, see The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy .Samson Option According to the biblical narrative, Samson died when he grasped two pillars of the Temple of Dagon, and "bowed himself with all his might" (Judges 16:30, KJV ).This has been variously interpreted as Samson pushing the pillars apart ( top ) or pulling them together ( bottom ).The Samson Option ( , b'rerat shimshon ) is the name that some military analysts and authors have given to Israel 's deterrence strategy of massive retaliation with nuclear weapons as a "last resort" against a country whose military has invaded and/or destroyed much of Israel.Commentators also have employed the term to refer to situations where non-nuclear, non-Israeli actors, have threatened conventional weapons retaliation, such as Yasser Arafat and Hezbollah . The name is a reference to the biblical Israelite judge Samson who pushed apart the pillars of a Philistine temple, bringing down the roof and killing himself and thousands of Philistines who had captured him, crying out "Let me die with the Philistines!" ( Judges 16:30 ). Keinon, Herb (January 31, 2002), "Selling the 'Samson option' " , The Jerusalem post , archived from the original on June 23, 2004 . Young, Michael (August 7, 2006), "The Samson Option: Is Hezbollah on the verge of destroying Lebanon?" , Slate Magazine .
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 960421836.
The opening as it stood on October 6, 2023 3 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Israel's deterrence strategy of massive retaliation with nuclear weapons Samson Option According to the biblical narrative, Samson died when he grasped two pillars of the Temple of Dagon, and "bowed himself with all his might" (Judges 16:30, KJV ). This has been variously interpreted as Samson pushing the pillars apart ( top ) or pulling them together ( bottom ). The Samson Option ( , b'rerat shimshon ) is the name that some military analysts and authors have given to Israel 's deterrence strategy of massive retaliation with nuclear weapons as a "last resort" against a country whose military has invaded and/or destroyed much of Israel. Commentators also have employed the term to refer to situations where non-nuclear, non-Israeli actors have threatened conventional weapons retaliation, such as Yasser Arafat . The name is a reference to the biblical Israelite judge Samson who pushed apart the pillars of a Philistine temple, bringing down the roof and killing himself and thousands of Philistines who had captured him, crying out "Let me die with the Philistines!" ( Judges 16:30 ).
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1164646126.
The opening as it stood in 2025 1 passage from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Israel's deterrence strategy of massive retaliation with nuclear weapons For the 1991 book, see The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy . According to the biblical narrative, Samson died when he grasped two pillars of the Temple of Dagon, and "bowed himself with all his might" (Judges 16:30, KJV ). The Samson Option ( Hebrew : ברירת שמשון , romanized : b'rerat shimshon ) is Israel 's deterrence strategy of massive retaliation with nuclear weapons as a "last resort" against a country whose military has invaded and/or destroyed much of Israel. Commentators also have employed the term to refer to situations where non-nuclear, non-Israeli actors have threatened conventional weapons retaliation. The name is a reference to the biblical Israelite judge Samson who pushed apart the pillars of a Philistine temple, bringing down the roof and killing himself and thousands of Philistines who had captured him. "Israel and the "Samson Option" in an Interconnected World" .
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1298013339. This is our newest snapshot; the live article may have moved again since.
Today
In 2005 Wikipedia's first sentence called it “term used to describe israel ’s alleged deterrence strategy of massive retaliation with nuclear weapons as a “l”. Today it says “deterrence strategy of massive retaliation with nuclear weapons as a "last resort" against any country whose mi”. Read the current article and compare.
2010
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Oct '23
2025
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What Wikipedia says this is
Every article opens by defining its subject. This one was redefined since 2010, and today's defining sentence is their current revision.
Then
term used to describe israel ’s alleged deterrence strategy of massive retaliation with nuclear weapons as a “l
Now
deterrence strategy of massive retaliation with nuclear weapons as a "last resort" against any country whose mi
Struck red text is no longer in the article; dotted amber text was rewritten. Every revision id links to Wikipedia's copy; the text shown is our own saved copy. Data: /data. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA; quoted for the record; not affiliated with Wikipedia.
