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Fierce public debate over how to handle Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program is taking place nearly every day here in Israel. Almost everyone is weighing in on the issue from very prominent former military and intelligence officials to those currently serving in Prime Minister Netanyahu's government. One thing has become clear --the majority of insiders who are talking on and off the record are coming out against a unilateral Israeli strike on Iran. Netanyahu and his defense minister, Ehud Barak, face a lot of opposition. One of their critics is Prof. Uzi Even, a prominent nuclear scientist. He spent many years working at Israel's alleged nuclear facility in Dimona. He's proposing a new and some say radical solution to the stand off...

Shut down Dimona in exchange for the closure of Qom, Iran's suspected nuclear facility -- that's the quid-pro-quo Prof. Even is proposing... The Israeli government maintains a policy of "nuclear ambiguity," neither admitting nor denying it has atomic weapons...but according to foreign reports Dimona allegedly houses Israel's stockpile of an estimated 200 nuclear warheads... Israel is not a signatory to the International Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Israel's alleged nuclear capability serves as a powerful deterrent to regional enemies...Prof. Even says closing Dimona wouldn't change that...

There are no indications that Israeli leaders would ever consider Prof. Even's proposal...given what the West believes is Iran's penchant for running secret underground nuclear facilities, it seems Prof. Even's plan requires a level of trust few would have in Iran's leaders... But the nuclear scientist's radical and perhaps naive idea shows just how strong public opposition is to a unilateral Israeli military strike on Iran...the latest polls still show about 60% of Israelis are against the idea... Prof. Even believes an Israeli strike will not reach its objectives given Iran's nuclear program is dispersed over at least 5 main locations and some are deep underground...he advocates only joining a U.S. led operation...the same position recently voiced by Israel's President Shimon Peres...

But how effective an Israeli attack may be is also fiercely debated...the former head of the Israeli Mossad, Danny Yatom, who also prefers joint US action, says Israel can still do the job alone... Prof. Even -- who was a former Knesset Member in the left-wing Meretz Party -- believes a nuclear Iran is something Israel can live with...but many disagree with that... How to stop Iran's suspected nuclear program is still Israel's and the world's challenge...

Jordana Miller, JN1, Jerusalem.