Obama Wants Israel to Scrap Its Nukes

israel-flagIn an effort to continue his suck up to Muslim countries, The United States, Russia, Britain, France and China voiced support on Wednesday for making the “Middle East” a nuclear-weapons-free zone, which would ultimately force Israel to scrap any atomic arms it has. According to Reuters, the move, in a joint statement, reflected U.S. concern to win Arab backing for sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program by offering a concession over its ally Israel, but Washington says the zone cannot be actually established yet. Strangely absent is any mention of Pakistan (Polk-EE-Stahn).

“We are committed to a full implementation of the 1995 NPT resolution on the Middle East and we support all ongoing efforts to this end,” the five permanent U.N. Security Council members said in a statement issued at a conference taking stock of the 1970 nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The 1995 resolution adopted by signatories of the landmark arms control treaty called for making the Middle East a zone without nuclear arms. The Jewish state has never confirmed or denied having nuclear arms.

“We are ready to consider all relevant proposals in the course of the (NPT) Review Conference in order to come to an agreed decision aimed at taking concrete steps in this direction,” said the statement, which was obtained by Reuters.

U.S. support for the idea of creating such a zone in the future could be unwelcome to Israel, which has said it can only consider it once there is Middle East peace.

But diplomats from the Jewish state’s Western allies say Arab states are pushing hard on the issue in exchange for their support in U.S.-led efforts to curb Iran’s nuclear program.

Egypt, which chairs the powerful 118-nation bloc of non-aligned developing nations, circulated a proposal to the 189 signatories of the treaty calling for a conference by next year on ridding the Middle East of nuclear arms in which all countries in the region would participate.

The United States and Russia, with the support of the other three countries allowed to keep nuclear weapons under the NPT, are negotiating with Egypt to come up with an acceptable compromise proposal, Western diplomats say.

Despite U.S. support for the principle of the proposed zone and for Egypt’s call for discussion of it, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Monday the time was not yet ripe for creating the zone.

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May 10, 2010 · Filed Under Israel


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