Global and Regional Approaches to Arms Control in the Middle East by Gamal M. Selim

Author:Gamal M. Selim
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, Berlin, Heidelberg

In return, when it came to Israel, the United States continued to demonstrate double standards in its policies toward nuclear proliferation and disarmament by turning a blind eye to Israel’s nuclear arsenal. This was done despite Israel’s persistent refusal to join the NPT, and to bring its nuclear facilities under IAEA supervision. The United States also remained silent after the then Israeli Prime Minister, Olmert, admitted in 2006 that Israel had nuclear weapons, and that Iran’s manoeuvering was intended to acquire the same capacity. In fact, as Iran continued to be subjected to sanctions for its nuclear development activities, the United States and Israel concluded a nuclear agreement in April 2008 to upgrade safety and technology at the Israeli nuclear reactor of Dimona. According to Hareetz, the agreement would “enable the Israel Atomic Energy Commission to access most of the latest nuclear safety data, procedures and technology available in the U.S.”26 On 7 July 2010, Israel's Army Radio reported that the United States pledged to sell Israel nuclear technology and other supplies for nuclear energy production, despite the fact that Israel is not a signatory of the NPT. According to Army Radio's diplomatic correspondent, the US offer would “put Israel on a par with India, another NPT holdout which is openly nuclear-armed but in 2008 secured a U.S.-led deal granting it civilian nuclear imports”.27

In September 2009, the United States voted against two IAEA resolutions which called for the establishment of a nuclear-weapons-free zone in the Middle East. The first resolution, sponsored by Egypt, called upon “all states of the region, pending the establishment of the zone, not to develop, produce, test or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons or permit the stationing on their territories or on territories under their control of nuclear weapons”. The second resolution, issued at the end of the fifty-third annual general assembly of the IAEA and sponsored by a group of Arab states, called upon Israel to put all its nuclear sites under UN inspection, and sign the NPT. Prior to the vote, Davies, the US representative to the IAEA, described the resolution as ‘redundant’, warning that “such an approach is highly politicized and does not address the complexities at play regarding crucial nuclear-related issues in the Middle East”.28 In a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on 6 July 2010, President Obama reiterated US unconditional support for Israel’s nuclear policy. “There is no change in U.S. policy when it comes to [nuclear non-proliferation]…[Israel has] got to be able to respond to threats or any combination of threats in the region…We remain unwavering in our commitment to Israel’s security. And the United States will never ask Israel to take any steps that would undermine their security interests”, Obama said.29 These policy stances, among others, are a clear indication of the prejudiced American approach to counter-proliferation in the Middle East.

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