Should Israel give up its nukes?

By George Bisharat

In a sudden attack of common sense, a Pentagon-commissioned study released in mid-November suggests an approach to nuclear nonproliferation in the Middle East that might actually be accepted by the people of the region. What is this breakthrough idea? That U.S. policies begin not with a country that currently lacks nuclear weapons — Iran — but rather with the one that by virtually all accounts already has them — Israel.

To avert Iran's apparent drive for nuclear weapons, concludes Henry Sokolski, a co-editor of "Getting Ready for a Nuclear-Ready Iran," Israel should freeze and begin to dismantle its nuclear capability.

This and other recommendations emerged from two years of deliberations by experts on the Middle East and nuclear nonproliferation.

Limiting the spread of nuclear weapons is a pivotal U.S. foreign policy objective. As the sole nation ever to have employed them, we bear a special responsibility to prevent their use in the future. With regard to the Middle East, we rightly worry not only about the potential use of the weapons themselves but about the political leverage bestowed on those who would possess them.

However, there is an Achilles heel in our nonproliferation policy: the double standard that U.S. administrations since the 1960s have applied with respect to Israel's weapons of mass destruction. Israel's suspected arsenal includes chemical, biological and about 100 to 200 nuclear warheads, and the capacity to deliver them.

More at;
Los Angeles Times

Israel should focus more on diplomacy, less on the nuclear threat. They might get along better with their neighbors - ya think?

However, there's no incentive for them to drop their nuclear arsenal, I mean, the US has been funding Israel's military for decades.

What a stupid, crazy mess.

How would we ever justify a full-scale U.S. Military invasion without the pretext of WMD?

-Make7

Along with Iran, India, Pakistan, Peoples Republic of China, United States, Russia (Belarus, Ukraine), UK, France, North Korea, i.e., EVERYBODY - WITHOUT EXCEPTION - nothing less.

Plus - complete "open kimono" inspections of the "peaceful atomic energy" cycle - from mining to processing to reactor design/build to operations, to fuel reprocessing, to fuel disposal. -- 100% "Open Kimono" - no exceptions - no outs - even UK, even US, even Japan, even Iran, even North Korea.

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Iran scares me terribly. I really think we should do something about them too. Look what they did years ago.....it could be worse now with nukes!!

If we would just leave countries like that alone for a change, instead of always trying to interfere with their governments and way of life, they would be happy to do the same w/us

it's really quite simple..

what did they do, anyway, years ago?

either. The WH has been sabre rattling at Iran for years. Did it ever occur to you that Israel-America wants an excuse to attack Iran (via Iraq)?

So why do you want to nuke Iran? Do you have access to an underground bunker next to Lieberman and Clinton for when Iran rightfully sends their own nukes?

We won't let a tiny group of crackpot Americans who get off on creating wars decide the future for the rest of us.

Coastie, I agree wholeheartedly with you!

(Have I encountered some sort of alternative reality here??? This is DU, isn't it...the I/P forum?)

Just happen to be JEWISH, and believer in a two state solution, with two viable, democratic states (which I guess makes me a Zionist).

But - I am not a Likudnik or a PNACer or a NeoCon.

I also post heaviy on the Energy/Environment Forum and the Peak Oil Forum - and believe that we will be driven to Nuclear Power as an alternative to the PNAC model of Resource Wars.