Vol. 10, No. 1 17 May 2010
Israel and the Question of a Nuclear-Free Zone in the Middle East
Dore Gold
- Back in 1980, Israel itself proposed the establishment of a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East. The establishment of a nuclear-free zone would have required a degree of recognition and peaceful relations between all the countries of the Middle East as a prerequisite to discussing its implementation.
- The Egyptians have effectively manipulated the Iranian issue in order to advance their long-term nuclear objectives vis-a-vis Israel, and have created a new linkage between Iran and Israel. It is Egypt's hope that the U.S. will feel compelled to pressure Israel on the nuclear issue in order to win Arab support for dealing with Iran.
- The Egyptian argument of linkage is completely baseless. Iran's drive for nuclear weapons emanates from its regional ambitions to become the main hegemonial power in the Middle East. Even if Israel did not exist, Iran would still be racing to develop nuclear weapons to further its own ambitions.
- The new director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Yukiya Amano, has sent letters to 151 states asking them how to implement an IAEA resolution demanding that Israel sign the NPT. The letter appeared to be highly discriminatory in that it singled out Israel, without mentioning the other states that have not signed the NPT, especially Pakistan and India.
- Israel has a strong case to make about the weaknesses of the NPT and why its entry into nuclear discussions should be put off until after a comprehensive peace is reached and proven to be reliable.
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