Desc: A Bomb in the Basement: Directed by Michael Karpin. With Michael Bar-Zohar, Isser Harel, Jean Lacouture, Shimon Peres. A BOMB IN THE BASEMENT is the first documentary film that tells the story of the development of the Israeli nuclear option. It focuses at the French-Israeli nuclear connection and describes the American administration unsuccessful effort to stop Israel from building the bomb. The development of the nuclear project was the most complex, costly and secret project ever carried out by Israel. David Ben-Gurion, Israel's creator, began to contemplate the Israeli ultimate deterrent in the early years of statehood. The lesson of the Holocaust and fears for Israel's survival persuaded Ben-Gurion that the state must have a defensive measure in the form of an ultimate deterrent, "life insurance" for the country. Foreign sources, quoted in the documentary reveal that Israel has declared a nuclear alert on three occasions in the past. The documentary describes under what circumstances Israel would be forced to use nuclear weapons.