Other than the resumption of proximity peace talks, the big news about Israel this week has to do with negotiations surrounding the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. The UN conference is an opportunity for the international body to take steps toward preventing the distribution of more nuclear weapons and also brings the world’s attention to Iran’s nuclear program. This month gives Israel and the United States the chance to push for what they want: an end to Iran’s forward-marching nuclear ambitions. Since many believe that a nuclear Iran is an existential threat to Israel, a UN decision about further sanctions would be a great international political victory.
However, like all geopolitical issues, the Iranian threat does not exist in a vacuum. The Associated Press reports:
Arab countries, meanwhile, sought to turn attention to Israel on Tuesday as delegates from 189 countries debated how to stem the spread of nuclear weapons.
On the second day of the monthlong meeting at the United Nations, Arab countries were reiterating calls for a nuclear-free Middle East with criticism of Israel’s unacknowledged nuclear arsenal and failure to sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
Many Arab countries—Egypt chiefly among them—are working toward a nuclear-free Middle East. One step toward achieving this goal is preventing Iran from acquiring weapons of mass destruction. To many, a more transparent Israel willing to sign the NPT would be a major step toward reducing the world’s supply of nuclear weapons; a major concession from the Israelis could help unite many in the Middle East against Iran. This result would certainly be beneficial to Israel and ought to be considered:
The point Egyptian officials are emphasizing is that what the US wants – multilateral pressure on Iran – is only possible if progress is made on an even-handed approach to nuclear weapons in the region.
Says Egypt Ambassador Abdel Aziz: “Success in dealing with Iran will depend to a large extent on how successfully we deal with the establishment of a nuclear-free zone” in the Middle East.
Yet, there are good reasons for Israel to guard its nuclear program. Israel faces security threats unlike most other countries. The Middle East is still a hostile place for the small Jewish state to exist, and a veiled nuclear program has military benefits. Especially with the increasing Iranian threat, it might seem silly for Israel to start disclosing classified information.
There are security benefits and drawbacks to each option. The UN might be able to help Israel more if Israel discloses more information about its nuclear arsenal, but Israel might still be able to better defend itself if that information remains hidden. Of course, the larger context of the Middle East peace process and Israel’s need to remain militarily dominant plays into these considerations, too.
What do you think? Should Israel be more open about its nukes in an effort to make progress against the Iranian threat?
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