The disarmament issue

The United States has chalked up several achievements in its efforts to rid the Middle East of weapons of mass destruction. While no forbidden weapon systems have been discovered in Iraq (contrary to earlier assessments), the conquest of Iraq and the fall of Saddam Hussein have removed from the stage a threatening and aggressive regime that has used ground-to-ground missiles and chemical weapons against civilians in the past.

Iran has succumbed to international pressure and has agreed to expose its efforts to enrich uranium, and to allow broader supervision over its nuclear installations. Libya has announced that it will abandon weapons of mass destruction and long-range missiles. And Syria is now facing similar pressure and threats of sanctions.

These developments contribute to Israel's security, removing serious threats that have developed in neighboring countries. It would be good for Israel to find a way to join these efforts to disarm and supervise weapons in the region.

Israel must act carefully when it comes to playing its part in allaying the threats in the region. The guiding principle should be to refrain from making unnecessary statements while maintaining wide security margins that will preserve its strategic deterrent capability. In the Middle East, where there are still many groups that reject the very existence of Israel as a Jewish state in the region, it is too early to discuss Israel's nuclear capabilities.

Haaretz