Samson Option

High school (ages 12+)
People & Society

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/samson-option

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the strategic doctrine?Massive retaliation as a final deterrent against existential threats
2. What is the inspirational source?Biblical narrative of Samson's self-sacrificing destruction
3. Why does Israel have the Samson Option?Israel created the Samson Option to protect itself from huge attacks that could destroy the country. It wants to make sure that any enemy knows it would be very risky to attack.
4. How does the Samson Option work?If Israel is attacked and its usual defenses are overwhelmed, the plan says it could use powerful weapons to hurt the attacker a lot. This would make future attacks seem too dangerous.

Existential Threat: A danger that poses a risk of complete destruction or annihilation of a state or entity.
Massive Retaliation: A military doctrine that promises a devastating response to any attack, regardless of its scale.
Nuclear Deterrence: The use of the threat of nuclear weapons to prevent an adversary from attacking.