Ephraim Asculai

Ephraim Asculai of the INSS in a photo from the INSS website. Accessed 26 November 2012.

Ephraim Asculai is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies. He has worked extensively in the nuclear industry.

Education

Asculai has a Ph.D. in Atmospheric Sciences from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

Career History

From the INSS website:

Ephraim Asculai worked at the Israel Atomic Energy Commission (IAEC) for over 40 years, mainly on issues of nuclear and environmental safety. In 1986, he went to work at the IAEA in Vienna on issues of radiation protection of the public. During 1990-1991 he was the Scientific Secretary of the International Chernobyl Project.

In 1992, Dr. Asculai returned to Israel and became heavily involved in the deliberations leading to the conclusion of the Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). In his final period at the IAEC he served as the Director of External Relations. During his sabbatical at the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) in Washington, D.C. he authored Verification Revisited: The Nuclear Case, published by the ISIS Press.

Dr. Asculai retired from the civil service in 2001. In 2002 he joined the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies (now incorporated into the Institute for National Security Studies). He has since published several papers dealing with WMD non-proliferation in general, and Middle East issues in particular, including the monograph Rethinking the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Regime in 2004.

Current Activities

Asculai is currently a Senior Research Fellow at INSS.

Publications

A. Books, Memoranda, Chapters in Books, Proceedings etc.

• Asculai, Ephraim, International Nuclear Nonproliferation Agreements: Current Status and Future Prospects, in Emily B. Landau and Tamar Malz-Ginzburg (eds.) "The Obama Vision and Nuclear Disarmament", INSS Memorandum, no. 107, March 2011.
• Asculai, Ephraim and Landau, Emily B., Nuclear Developments in Iran in The Middle East Strategic Balance 2007-2008, Mark A. Heller, ed. (Tel Aviv: Institute for National Security Studies, 2008)
• Asculai, Ephraim, "How Iran Can Attain its Nuclear Capability – and Then Use It", in Israel and a Nuclear Iran: Implications for Arms Control, Deterrence, and Defense, Ephraim Kam, ed. (Memorandum No. 94, Tel Aviv: Institute for National Security Studies, 2008)
• Asculai, Ephraim, "Time for A New Approach to Verification", INMM 45th Annual Meeting, (July 2004, Orlando, Florida, USA)
• Asculai, Ephraim, "Rethinking the Nuclear Nonproliferation Regime" (JCSS Memorandum No. 70, 2004)
• Asculai, Ephraim, "The Case of Iraq’s Weapons of Mass Destruction", Chapter 11 in: After the War in Iraq - Defining the New Strategic Balance, Shai Feldman, Ed. (Sussex Academic Press, 2003)
• Asculai, Ephraim, "What States Should Do and Should Not Do to Staunch Proliferation", in: Conference on Nuclear Proliferation, Athens, May 2003, (Centre for Policy Analysis and Planning, Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2003).
• Asculai, Ephraim, "Verification Revisited: The Nuclear Case" (ISIS Press, Washington, D.C., 2002);

B. Strategic Assessment Articles

• Asculai, Ephraim, Coping with Iran’s Nuclear Capabilities, Strategic Assessment, October 2011.
• Kam, Ephraim, and Asculai, Ephraim, Countdown to the Iranian Bomb, Strategic Assessment, Volume 12, No. 4, February 2010.
• Asculai, Ephraim, The Future of the IAEA Safeguards System, Strategic Assessment, Volume 11, No. 3, January 2009.
• Asculai, Ephraim, The Implications of the National Intelligence Estimate, Strategic Assessment, Vol. 10, No. 4, February 2008.
• Asculai, Ephraim, The Fissile Materials Cutoff Treaty: An Interim Report, Strategic Assessment, Vol. 10, No. 1, June 2007.
• Asculai, Ephraim and Landau, Emily B., Developments on the North Korean Nuclear Axis: Parallels with Iran?, Strategic Assessment, Vol. 9, No. 4, March 2007.
• Asculai, Ephraim, From the Uranium Mines to Nuclear Weapons, Strategic Assessment, Vol. 9, No. 1, April 2006.
• Landau, Emily B. and Asculai, Ephraim, Iran's Nuclear Program and Negotiations with the EU-3, Strategic Assessment, Vol.8, No. 3, November 2005.
• Asculai, Ephraim, The Decline of WMD Non-Proliferation Regimes, Strategic Assessment, Vol. 6, No. 1, May 2003.
• Asculai, Ephraim, The IAEA Additional Protocol: Improving the International Safeguards Regime, Strategic Assessment, Vol. 5, No. 3, November 2002.
• Asculai, Ephraim, Inspecting Iraq: An Action Agenda, Strategic Assessment, Vol. 5, No. 2, August 2002.

C. Tel-Aviv Notes and INSS Insights

• Asculai, Ephraim , The Iranian Decision on the Production of Nuclear Weapons, INSS Insight, No. 324, March 22, 2012.
• Asculai, Ephraim, Can an Interim Agreement with Iran be Reached by July?, INSS Insight, No. 312, February 1, 2012
• Asculai, Ephraim, "For Whom the Bell Tolls": The November 2011 IAEA Report, INSS Insight No. 293, November 15, 2011
• Stein, Shimon and Asculai, Ephraim, The IAEA 2011 General Conference, INSS Insight, No. 285, October 4, 2011
• Asculai, Ephraim, For Iran, It's a Matter of Decision Taking, INSS Insight, No. 241, February 2, 2011.
• Asculai, Ephraim, 2010: The Nuclear Spider Comes of Age, INSS Insight, No. 230, December 1, 2010.
• Landau, Emily B and Asculai, Ephraim, A Political Victory at the IAEA: But for the Right Reason?, INSS Insight, No. 215, October 5, 2010.
• Asculai, Ephraim, Assessing the Iranian Nuclear Issue, INSS Insight, No. 212, September 28, 2010.
• Magen, Zvi and Asculai, Ephraim, Bushehr, After All, INSS Insight, No. 202, August 25, 2010.
• Asculai, Ephraim, Ten Questions for the Negotiators with Iran, INSS Insight, No. 198, August 8, 2010.
• Asculai, Ephraim and Landau, Emily B., Iran: The Course is Almost Run, INSS Insight, No. 193, July 18, 2010.
• Landau, Emily B and Asculai, Ephraim, The Fourth Round of Sanctions on Iran, INSS Insight, No. 188, June 13, 2010.
• Asculai, Ephraim and Landau, Emily B., The Nuclear Fuel Deal: A Gift to Iran?, INSS Insight, No. 184, May 20, 2010.
• Schachter, Jonathan, Landau, Emily B., and Asculai, Ephraim, Muddling the Iran Issue, INSS Insight, No. 177, April 26, 2010.
• Asculai, Ephraim, A US Volte-Face?, INSS Insight, No. 166, March 8, 2010.
• Asculai, Ephraim, Iran's Brinkmanship is Paying Off, INSS Insight, No. 163, February 14, 2010.
• Asculai, Ephraim, Iran: The Time Has Come, INSS Insight, No. 158, January 25, 2010.
• Asculai, Ephraim, Landau, Emily B., and Malz-Ginzburg, Tamar, US-Iran Negotiations: Simulation Exercise at INSS, INSS Insight, No. 154, December 29, 2009.
• Landau, Emily B and Asculai, Ephraim, The Nuclear Fuel Deal with Iran: Losing Sight of the Broader Picture?, INSS Insight, No. 137, October 25, 2009.
• Asculai, Ephraim, The IAEA and Israel, INSS Insight, No. 135, October 5, 2009.
• Asculai, Ephraim, The Implications of Iran's Second Enrichment Plant, INSS Insight, No. 134, September 29, 2009.
• Asculai, Ephraim, and Landau, Emily B., "The Whole Truth"? On Disclosure by the IAEA, INSS Insight, No. 127, August 31, 2009.
• Asculai, Ephraim, The Pros and Cons of Nuclear Power in the Middle East, INSS Insight, No. 118, July 6, 2009.
• Asculai, Ephraim, World Passivity in the Face of Advanced Nuclear Challenges, INSS Insight, No. 112, June 8, 2009.
• Landau, Emily B and Asculai, Ephraim, Ramifications of the North Korean Nuclear Test, INSS Insight, No. 110, May 31, 2009.
• Asculai, Ephraim, The Time Game with Iran, INSS Insight, No. 103, April 21, 2009.
• Asculai, Ephraim, The IAEA February Reports on Iran and Syria, INSS Insight, No. 96, February 23, 2009.
• Asculai, Ephraim, The Latest IAEA Report on Iran and the Options Facing the International Community, INSS Insight, No. 73, September 22, 2008.
• Asculai, Ephraim and Landau, Emily B., The Belated Message from the IAEA on Iran, INSS Insight, No. 59, June 8, 2008.
• Ascuali, Ephraim, Syria, the NPT, and the IAEA, INSS Insight, No. 53, April 29, 2008.
• Ascuali, Ephraim, The Latest IAEA Report (22.2.2008) and Iranian Nuclear Weapons Development, INSS Insight, No. 47, February 29, 2008
• Asculai, Ephraim, The IAEA: A Purveyor Of Illusions, INSS Insight, No. 25, July 19 2007.
• Asculai, Ephraim, Iran’s Nuclear Weapons Program: Has the Time-Line Changed?, INSS Insight, No. 17, May 17 2007.
• Asculai, Ephraim, Security Council Resolution 1737: Too Little, Too Late, INSS Insight, No.6, 11.1.07.
• Asculai, Ephraim, Iran at the Nuclear Crossroads, Tel Aviv Notes, No. 183, 13.8.06.
• Asculai, Ephraim, Is There a Diplomatic Solution to the Iranian Nuclear Issue?, Tel Aviv Notes, No. 170, 22.5.06.
• Asculai, Ephraim, International Reactions to Iran’s Nuclear Pronouncements, Tel Aviv Notes, No. 168, 21.4.06.
• Asculai, Ephraim, Iran's Nuclear Ambitions – No More Illusions, Tel Aviv Notes, No. 163, 14.3.06.
• Asculai, Ephraim, After the IAEA Resolution: Iran’s Road to Nuclear Weapons Remains Open, Tel Aviv Notes, No. 160, 8.2.06.
• Asculai, Ephraim , Iran After the IAEA Vote: Still in the Driver's Seat, Tel Aviv Notes, No. 148, 30.9.05.
• Asculai, Ephraim , Intelligence Assessment and the Point of No Return: Iran's Nuclear Program, Tel Aviv Notes, No. 143, 8.8.05.
• Asculai, Ephraim , Taking Stock of Iran's Nuclear Program, Tel Aviv Notes, No. 128, 8.3.05.
• Asculai, Ephraim , Europe and Iran's Nuclear Future, Tel Aviv Notes, No. 122, 16.1.05.
• Asculai, Ephraim and Kam, Ephraim , Iran’s Slippery Nuclear Slope, Tel Aviv Notes, No. 117, 2.12.04.
• Asculai, Ephraim , Iran, The IAEA and the Legend of the Smoking Gun, Tel Aviv Notes, No. 110, 8.9.04.
• Asculai, Ephraim , The UN vs. Iran - Act II, Tel Aviv Notes, No. 92, 7.12.03.
• Asculai, Ephraim , Saudi Arabia - A New Player on the Nuclear Scene?, Tel Aviv Notes, No. 90, 26.10.03.
• Asculai, Ephraim , WMD in Iraq - The David Kay Report, Tel Aviv Notes, No. 89, 21.10.03.
• Asculai, Ephraim , The UN vs. Iran - What Next?, Tel Aviv Notes, No. 87, 18.9.03.
• Asculai, Ephraim , Are the IAEA and Iran on a Collision Course?, Tel Aviv Notes, No., 82, 30.6.03
• Asculai, Ephraim , IAEA's Iran Dilemma, Tel Aviv Notes, No. 71, 12.3.03.
• Asculai, Ephraim , What Is the Role of Inspectors in Iraq?, Tel Aviv Notes, No. 69, 9.3.03.
• Asculai, Ephraim , Buying Time: The Joint UN-Iraqi Statement, Tel Aviv Notes, No. 62, 22.1.03.
• Asculai, Ephraim , Renewed Inspections in Iraq: Can They Succeed?, Tel Aviv Notes, No. 55, 19.11.02.

Affiliations

• Institute for National Security Studies
• Israel Atomic Energy Commission
• International Atomic Energy Agency