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An Israeli scientist is calling for his country to end a decades-long silence over its reported nuclear weapons capability and open its nuclear reactor to inspection.

Uzi Even, a Tel Aviv University chemistry professor and former worker at Israel's Dimona reactor, said U.S. President Barack Obama's campaign for global nuclear arms reduction is a sign of changing times and Israel must get in step.

" The policy of nuclear ambiguity, by which we fool only ourselves and nobody else, is not good for us any more "
Uzi Even

"We could open Dimona to international inspection," the former member of parliament with the left-wing Meretz party told Israeli army radio on Monday.

Mordechai Vanunu, who also once worked at the top-secret Dimona plant, was jailed from 1986 to 2004 for passing what he said were details of its operations to Britain's Sunday Times newspaper.

Since his release in 2004, he has been subject to a parole order barring him from travel or contact with foreigners.

Israel is widely believed to have around 200 nuclear warheads, but has a policy of neither confirming nor denying that, a stance which it calls "nuclear ambiguity."

"It was good, effective and successful for close to 40 years, but over 40 years many things changed and now I am telling you clearly, this policy is no longer in our interest."