Israel’s nukes blocking Mideast peace: ElBaradei

SYDNEY - Israel’s nuclear weapons are an obstacle to peace in the Middle East, the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog said on Tuesday. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) head Mohamed ElBaradei said the nuclear arsenal should go as part of a settlement with the Palestinians.

“This is not really sustainable that you have Israel sitting with nuclear weapons capability there while everyone else is part of the non-proliferation regime,” ElBaradei told The Sydney Morning Herald.

ElBaradei said Moslems in the surrounding region resented Israel’s nuclear arsenal and wanted it to be part of the non-proliferation programme. “It is a very emotional issue in the Middle East,” ElBaradei said.

The IAEA director general is the keynote speaker at a conference in Sydney organized by the Australian government to discuss safeguards to prevent nuclear material falling into the hands of terrorists. Delegates from 30 countries are attending the conference.

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