Obama: Israel should sign nuclear non-proliferation treaty

Source: Ha'aretz

U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday urged all countries, including Israel, to sign the international Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, or NPT.

"Whether we're talking about Israel or any other country, we think that becoming part of the NPT is important," Obama said. "And that, by the way, is not a new position. That's been a consistent position of the United States government, even prior to my administration."

Israel operates a policy of 'nuclear ambiguity,' refusing to confirm or deny having atomic weapons - but has not signed the treaty and is believed by analysts to posses between 200 and 300 nuclear warheads.
Advertisement

Obama, who was hosting an international conference on nuclear security in Washington, was at first reluctant to answer journalists' questions on Israel, whose prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu had at the last minute canceled plans to attend.

Read more: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1162859.html

---

:popcorn:

This the big glaring hypocrisy of US Middle East policy the last 30+ years.

I'm not doubting that Israel could have nuclear weapons, but if it is not definitely certain that they do, then our belief that they do remains an assumption.

Please understand that no matter the issue, it is very important to separate assumptions, however likely to be valid, from facts based on evidence. Life is full of surprises.

It would seem to me that the existence of a nuclear arsenal within the borders of Israel might pose as much of if not more of a threat to Israelis than to anyone else. So, let's face it. It is an assumption that Israel has nuclear weapons. I'm not doubting that assumption. I'm just reminding everyone that it is an assumption and not an established fact.

Ireland doesn't have any, for example, but is a signatory...in fact, the first signatory, jointly with Finland. It was first proposed in 1958 by the Irish minister for external affairs, Frank Aiken. Ireland is one of the few countries which has a constitutional requirement of neutrality, which is why it has often had a leading role in brokering human rights or weapon-control treaties.

excuse the only nuclear power in the zone: Israel.

There are no "assumptions," BTW, in regards to Israel's nuclear capabilities.

Some people in this site can justify away just about anything given enough doublethink, regardless of how much factual evidence there is to the contrary or common sense indicates otherwise.

And also go after it as a war-criminal state, an occupier of invaded territory, and so on.

But if one country in the middle east does not sign this treaty, everyone else is at a very serious risk, and we all know Iran won't. That fact makes this treaty kinda useless

and the present regime has expressed support for it, though its compliance is in dispute.

Iran has zero nuclear weapons.

Israel depending on the estimate has 150-400 nuclear weapons and refuses to sign the NPT.

We supplied all of them.

But do remember to check your facts. We do that a bit more than most other boards do.

Do you frequently get trapped in your own home because you forget how to use the doorknob?

They should be denied american aid unless they sign, in accord with American law. (like we follow our own rules!). We should stop sending them 5 billion per year, half (!!) our foreign aid budget.

Also, as a country which has attacked other countries in the past, threatens to do so now, maintains an illegal occupation of land not legally theirs and regularly violates international human rights laws, they should certainly be considered a far bigger threat than Iran.

They are the chief reason the middle east is a mess now, besides American desire to control oil that is.

Nixon armed right wing Fundi Israelis, thereby burying the peace-loving Israelis --

Netanyhu seems to have also played a role in the assassiantion of PM Rabin --

which completely buried the peace-loving left --

Nixon gained a foothold in the ME which has been exploited in the interests of right wing

imperialism --