The Obama administration does not intend to press Israel to give international monitors access to its nuclear weapons, the Washington Times reported today (see GSN, Sept. 29).
(Oct. 2) -
U.S. President Barack Obama, left, speaks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outside the White House in May. Obama's administration does not plan to pressure Israel to open its nuclear sites to international scrutiny, officials said (White House photo/Getty Images).
Israel has never officially acknowledged possession of what is believed to be the Middle East's only nuclear arsenal, which is roughly estimated at between 100 and 200 warheads.
Then-U.S. President Richard Nixon and former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meier in 1969 reportedly agreed that Washington would not challenge Jerusalem on the issue. The deal -- of which there is no official accounting -- essentially means that "the United States passively [accepts] Israel's nuclear weapons status as long as Israel does not unveil publicly its capability or test a weapon," according to expert Avner Cohen.
The understanding has held up for 40 years. President Barack Obama indicated during a meeting in May with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he did not intend to change that policy, three officials told the Times.
This comes even as Obama has made nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament one of his key initiatives, very publicly raising the issue again last month at the United Nations (see GSN, Sept. 24).
Netanyahu expressed little worry last week that Obama intended to lean on Israel as he sought to promote a world without nuclear weapons.
"It was utterly clear from the context of the speech [to the U.N. General Assembly] that he was speaking about North Korea and Iran," the Israeli prime minister said during a television interview. "But I want to remind you that in my first meeting with President Obama in Washington I received from him, and I asked to receive from him, an itemized list of the strategic understandings that have existed for many years between Israel and the United States on that issue. It was not for naught that I requested, and it was not for naught that I received (that document)."
The case for global nuclear disarmament could become more difficult while the understanding stands, according to the Times. It particularly could hamper attempts to establish the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and a fissile materials cutoff pact as global law.
"What this means is that the president gave commitments that politically he had no choice but to give regarding Israel's nuclear program," according to one Senate staff member. "However, it calls into question virtually every part of the president's nonproliferation agenda.The president gave Israel [a Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty] get out of jail free card."
Arms Control Association chief Daryl Kimball played down the importance of Obama's decision, but said Netanyahu should not believe that the U.N. Security Council resolution passed last week in hopes of promoting nuclear disarmament does not apply to his nation.
"I would respectfully disagree with Mr. Netanyahu. President Obama's speech and U.N. Security Council Resolution 1887 apply to all countries irrespective of secret understandings between the U.S. and Israel," Kimball said. "A world without nuclear weapons is consistent with Israel's stated goal of achieving a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction. Obama's message is that the same nonproliferation and disarmament responsibilities should apply to all states and not just a few" (Eli Lake, Washington Times, Oct. 2).
Meanwhile, Israel said yesterday it had not received two German-built submarines that are designed to fire nuclear-armed cruise missiles, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Sept. 30).
"These submarines are still under construction and have not yet been delivered to the Israeli navy," according to a statement issued after a military spokesman said that the two vessels had arrived (Agence France-Presse/Spacewar.com, Oct. 2).