After the existence of a nuclear plant was initially denied by the Israeli government, David Ben-Gurion stated in a speech to the Israeli Knesset on December 21, 1960, that the purpose of the nuclear plant at Beersheba was for "research in problems of arid zones and desert flora and fauna."
Setelah keberadaan pabrik nuklir dibantah oleh pemerintah Israel, David Ben-Gurion menyatakan dalam pidatonya di Knesset Israel tanggal 21 November 1960 bahwa tujuan pabrik nuklir di Beersheba adalah "penelitian terhadap flora dan fauna wilayah gersang dan gurun".