Subscribe to Print Edition | Sun., January 20, 2008 Shvat 13, 5768 | | Israel Time: 08:17 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
  Back to Homepage
Rosner's Domain
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Advertising
Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File
Last update - 08:55 24/09/2006
Egypt slams West for blocking resolution on Israeli nuclear arms
By Reuters

Egypt criticised Western powers on Saturday for blocking efforts to declare Israel's reputed nuclear arsenal a threat.

The United States and other Western states combined on Friday to stifle a resolution at the U.N.'s nuclear agency, the IAEA, demanding Israel use atomic energy only for peaceful purposes and help set up a Middle East nuclear arms-free zone.

The gathering voted in favour of a milder resolution, also initiated by Arab states, "affirming the urgent need for all states in the Middle East to accept full-scope IAEA safeguards on all their nuclear activities".
Advertisement
In a news release on Saturday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit slammed what he described as double standards and discriminatory policies on the part of Western countries.

"It is unacceptable that these countries continue to ignore the danger posed by the Israeli nuclear threat to stability and security in the Middle East," he said.

Aboul Gheit called on Israel to accede to the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to subject Israel's nuclear energy programme to safeguards and checks.

Aboul Gheit said these countries should express the same level of interest in the Israeli nuclear threat as they do in other non-proliferation cases, and described Israel's nuclear programme as a "direct challenge" to the NPT regime.

"For developing and Arab countries to comprehend the concern Western powers are expressing over the Iranian nuclear issue, these Western powers have to convince everyone that they adhere to all that is lawful, and not pick sides," Aboul Gheit said.

Israel neither admits nor denies having atomic weapons under a policy of "strategic ambiguity", but most experts believe it has about 200 nuclear warheads.

Last year, Israeli police filed charges against nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu for telling Western media that Israel assembled hydrogen and and neutron bombs at its Dimona nuclear reactor. Vanunu is currently banned from traveling
Bookmark to del.icio.us  
 
Flip-flop on torture
Responding to pressure, Canada takes U.S., Israel off a torture watchlist.
Impending crisis
UN warns of humanitarian crisis as Israel seals Gaza Strip crossings.
  1.   has isreal ever threatened to nuke another country?? 22:49  |  vik 23/09/06
  2.   Egypt is Jealous... 23:30  |  David ben Avraham 23/09/06
  3.   Funny, funny, despots 23:40  |  David Teich 23/09/06
  4.   very logical demand indeead 00:07  |  Wahbi 24/09/06
  5.   Egyptian duplicity 00:17  |  Akiva Patysh 24/09/06
  6.   Israel`s Nukes 00:37  |  Naim S. Mahlab 24/09/06
  7.   Egypt 00:44  |  Rodney Stack 24/09/06
  8.   Uh huh 01:17  |  Gili 24/09/06
  9.   why is egypt so concerned about israels wmd 01:42  |  yahn goodey 24/09/06
  10.   cluster bombs 02:24  |  leander 24/09/06
  11.   egypt deflecting internal issues 03:01  |  shimmy 24/09/06
  12.   nukes 03:39  |  jj 24/09/06
  13.   to number 5 03:43  |  craig 24/09/06
  14.   Israel cannot tolerate equality 04:00  |  kyot 24/09/06
  15.   DOUBLE STANDARD 04:04  |  ron 24/09/06
  16.   Never again. You first. 04:06  |  Itamar 24/09/06
  17.   Context is . . . 04:30  |  Major 24/09/06
  18.   No israeli threats?? 04:36  |  kyot 24/09/06
  19.   Kyot 04:44  |  David ben Avraham 24/09/06
  20.   Neither Should have Nukes in the ME 05:12  |  Sharif Hafez 24/09/06
  21.   shields 05:19  |  angiolillo 24/09/06
  22.   nuclear wepons 05:24  |  cesare 24/09/06
  23.   # 5 Naim S. Mahlab, # 12 Craig , Noble idea 06:40  |  Joseph E . 24/09/06
  24.   #1 Yes Israel has threatened the use of Nukes 06:51  |  Galalean 24/09/06
  25.   Only in a defensive posture 07:08  |  Luis 24/09/06
  26.   Double Standards: Baloney 07:41  |  Brad 24/09/06
  27.   #6 07:50  |  David ben Avraham 24/09/06
  28.   #24 07:53  |  David ben Avraham 24/09/06
  29.   Secret nukes are made for use, not deterrence 07:59  |  Natallie Durson 24/09/06
  30.   Nuclear warheads, but no testing?? 08:02  |  Voice of Reason 24/09/06
  31.   I agree with #20 Hafez 08:29  |  An Arab Neighbor 24/09/06
  32.   # 24: NO israel never threatened with nukes!!! 08:53  |  Reality Bites 24/09/06
  33.   If there was 5 Million Arabs and 300 million Jews... 09:29  |  Soothsayer 24/09/06
  34.   Vanunu 09:37  |  Lebanese admirer 24/09/06
  35.   How about Egyptian Nukes. 09:39  |  John of Jordan 24/09/06
  36.   #26 Brad 09:48  |  John of Jordan 24/09/06
  37.   # 27, Israel was thinking of use their nukes 09:55  |  Franz 24/09/06
  38.   Iranian nukes 10:19  |  Chris 24/09/06
  39.   Israel must disarm 10:54  |  Adel 24/09/06
  40.   Cut the BS! 11:02  |  Cyrus the Great 24/09/06
  41.   to #1: actions speak louder than words 11:17  |  Roman 24/09/06
  42.   Will Israel use the bomb? 11:28  |  Altalena 24/09/06
  43.   vik 1 11:30  |  potaboc 24/09/06
  44.   Soothsayer 11:34  |  Lebanese admirer 24/09/06
  45.   #2 David 11:45  |  John of Jordan 24/09/06
  46.   Samson option 11:51  |  Akiva Patysh 24/09/06
  47.   Samson Option 11:52  |  Akiva Patysh 24/09/06
  48.   #18 you`re dreaming 11:53  |  Itamar 24/09/06
  49.   Itamar 11:54  |  John of Jordan 24/09/06
  50.   How dare the Egyptian Foreign Minister be logical 12:06  |  Clickfool 24/09/06
  51.   Israel`s nukes 12:20  |  Dewey Figtree 24/09/06
  52.   RE Vic #1 and Reality Bites #32 12:23  |  Hamid Sirhan 24/09/06
  53.   If Israel is allowed nuclear weaponry... 12:28  |  Hamid Sirhan 24/09/06
  54.   ...nuclear logic continued 12:30  |  Hamid Sirhan 24/09/06
  55.   Altalena reveals the doublethink that`s taking place 12:32  |  Clickfool 24/09/06
  56.   Israel is not a subject of the NPT regime 12:38  |  Gary 24/09/06
  57.   At Last 12:39  |  Salam 24/09/06
  58.   the elite in egypt are livid 12:46  |  zadok the priest 24/09/06
  59.   to 5 12:47  |  jean marie 24/09/06
  60.   when israel first started its nuclear programme 12:48  |  zadok the priest 24/09/06
  61.   to 8 12:50  |  jean marie 24/09/06
  62.   why is egypt bringing up israel`s nuclear power? 12:51  |  zadok the priest 24/09/06
  63.   to 29 12:53  |  jean marie 24/09/06
  64.   to 34 12:56  |  jean marie 24/09/06
  65.   to 39 13:00  |  jean marie 24/09/06
  66.   to 46 13:02  |  jean marie 24/09/06
  67.   THE world does nothing about Arab WMD`s. 13:04  |  PETER SM 24/09/06
  68.   clickfool and israel`s nuclear programme 13:06  |  harzion 24/09/06
  69.   clickfool and nukes 13:10  |  harzion 24/09/06
  70.   clickfool if your brain was bigger then a peanut 13:12  |  harzion 24/09/06
  71.   Lebanese Admirer 13:18  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 24/09/06
  72.   Equivalency 13:22  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 24/09/06
  73.   Whose Nuclear Weapons? 13:31  |  Nanker Phelge 24/09/06
  74.   re:clickfool and israel`s nuclear programme (Harizon) 13:32  |  Wouter