Chaïm Nissim (21 November 1949[3] – 11 April 2017[1][2]) was an Israeli born militant ecological activist, and a Green Party of Switzerland politician. He was the perpetrator of a rocket attack on the Superphénix nuclear plant, on 18 January 1982.
Chaïm Nissim | |
|---|---|
| Born | 21 November 1949 |
| Died | 11 April 2017 (aged 67)[1][2] |
| Nationality | Israeli |
| Education | Electronical and computer engineer |
| Alma mater | EPFL |
| Known for | Ecological Involvement |
| Spouse | "a Swiss woman"[3] |
| Children | Sylvia (1986) Yael (1988) Talia (1995)[3] |
Biography
editChaïm Nissim was born in Jerusalem in 1949.[3] He was raised and studied in Israel up to the age of 14, when his father was appointed director of an Israeli bank and his family moved to Geneva, Switzerland. Nissim obtained a degree in electronical and computer engineering at the EPFL in 1973.[3]
Activist background and attack on Superphénix
editFor ten years, Nissim, believing that fast breeder reactor "can explode with their fast neutrons",[4] did everything he could to stop the construction of the Superphénix nuclear plant, including training himself for underground guerilla, notably sabotaging electricity pylons with explosives.[3]
On 18 January 1982, Nissim fired five rockets on the Superphénix nuclear plant, then under construction. Five rocket-propelled grenades were launched at the incomplete containment building – two hit and caused damage, missing the reactor's empty core.
The weapon, a RPG-7, was obtained from the Red Army Faction through Carlos the Jackal and the Belgian Communist Combatant Cells.[5][6]
Nissim states that:
I know that it might sound odd to consider rockets as a non-violent mean of action. However, we took every imaginable precaution to be certain that no worker was at risk of being hit, therefore we committed a non-violent attack.[3]
However, the plant manager disagreed with the previous statement, saying that the twenty workers on site were put in danger and that one rocket landed 20 meters away from a worker.[7]
Nissim further stated:
These attacks were part of a general movement in which each little piece had its importance. People fired rockets, myself for instance. We had found a bazooka by German terrorists and we fired it. We failed, as the closest rocket missed the important part that we targeted by one metre. It was nevertheless quite beautiful. And, symbolically, it was a token contribution to the larger movement.[8]
Political career
editIn 1985, Chaïm Nissim was elected member of the Grand Council of Geneva, under the aegis of the Green Party of Switzerland. He held the position until 2001.[3]
On 8 May 2003, Nissim went public about the rocket attack of 1982,[5] publishing a book on the subject and his connections to terrorist groups.[3][9][10]
Nissim supported the association NOÉ21, a think tank on energy policies.[11][12]
References
edit- ^ a b "Chaïm Nissim, qui avait tiré à la roquette sur Creys-Malville, est décédé", Radio télévision suisse, 12 April 2017 (page visited on 12 April 2017).
- ^ a b Marc Moulin, "Chaïm Nissim, l’ultime bravade d’un jusqu’au-boutiste", Tribune de Genève, 12 April 2017 (page visited on 12 April 2017).
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Chaim Nissim Archived 10 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine, biography on Chaim Nissim's blog
- ^ "les surgénérateurs comme Creys-Malville, qui, avec leurs neutrons rapides, peuvent faire explosion" "À propos : Le blog de Chaim Nissim". Archived from the original on 10 January 2010. Retrieved 9 December 2009.
- ^ a b "Après vingt ans de silence, un ex-député avoue l'attaque à la roquette contre Creys-Malville". Archived from the original on 31 December 2005. Retrieved 9 December 2009.
- ^ "An industry incapable of adapting to the post-9/11 world" (PDF). global-chance.org. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
- ^ "Des roquettes ont été tirées contre le chantier du réacteur Super-Phénix Il n'y a pas de blessés et les dégâts sont minimes". Le Monde.fr (in French). 20 January 1982. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
- ^ RETOUR SUR MALVILLE, CHAIM NISSIM A CŒUR OUVERT
- ^ Chaïm Nissim, L'amour et le monstre : roquettes contre Creys-Malville, Lausanne, Paris, Favre, 2004
- ^ See also this TV broadcast
- ^ "Écologie | Noé21 | Genève". Wayback Machine (in French). Archived from the original on 5 July 2004. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ noe21 members Archived 26 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine
