In the name of peace, Arabs and others speak out against Israel's nuclear arsenal and Western double standards, Mustafa Abdallah writes from Vienna The 52nd general conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) featured intense wrangling between Arab countries on the one hand and Israel and Western nations on the other. At the centre of the debate was an Arab draft resolution that would require Israel to come under international safeguards similar to those enforced by the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT). Israel is the only country in the region that hasn't joined the NPT. Arab and Muslim delegates pointed out that double-dealing in the application of NPT safeguards is a significant threat to peace and stability. Egypt tabled a draft resolution that was met with strong opposition by both Israel and the US and then postponed to the next conference. This didn't stop the Egyptian delegation, led by Electricity and Energy Minister Hassan Younes and Ambassador Ihab Fawzi, from making Egypt's view on Israeli nuclear weapons known to all. Speaking for Egypt, Minister Younes said that since 2006 Cairo has been engaged in efforts to produce nuclear power for peaceful purposes. On 21 December 2006, President Mubarak instructed the government to develop alternative energy sources, including nuclear power. Egypt is now cooperating with the IAEA and preparing preliminary studies. Addressing the matter of nuclear guarantees, the minister said that Egypt is concerned over the efficiency of current arrangements aimed to stop proliferation. But the lack of regulation of countries that haven't joined the NPT is alarming, the minister added, in a clear reference to Israel. Minister Younes called on the five nuclear powers to push forward with dismantling their nuclear arsenals in keeping with Article 6 of the NPT. He said that unless the NPT is applied in a universal manner, its ultimate aim -- nuclear disarmament -- would be compromised. The minister said that the current situation surrounding non-proliferation and nuclear weapons in the Middle East is a threat to international peace. Sixteen years ago, he noted, the IAEA conference called on all Middle East countries to abide by non-proliferation safeguards. Yet Israel has made no effort to do so, and major countries haven't taken action on the matter. Egypt first proposed a resolution that calls on all countries in the region to join the NPT, but because of pressure from Israel, the US, and Western countries, several amendments were introduced to the draft. The non-binding resolution passed with a 82-34 margin, but failed to satisfy most Arab delegates. Thirteen countries abstained. During the five-day conference, Egypt was elected a member in the Board of Governors, the IAEA's top executive body. But Egypt abstained on a Western-backed resolution to consolidate proliferation safeguards, considering it fraught with double standards. Ambassador Fawzi said that Egypt could endorse a system of safeguards that may be selectively applied in the Middle East. Israel, Fawzi pointed out, has not signed the NPT and is not obliged to abide by IAEA regulations. This is a situation that threatens Egypt's national security as well as that of other countries around the region. The nuclear imbalance in the region is the main cause for disputes over verification in the region, the Egyptian delegate said. Fawzi said that double standards are undermining the IAEA's mission. As wrangling between Arab countries and Israel came to a head, Fawzi said that Egypt has warned repeatedly of double dealing and international indifference regarding Israel's nuclear capabilities. The silence of the international community imperils non-proliferation efforts, he pointed out. Iran also spoke out against Israel's nuclear capacities, saying that it poses an immediate and continual threat to neighbouring countries. Iranian delegate Ali Akbar Salehi lashed out at the US and the West, accusing them of "disgraceful" silence on Israel's nuclear arms. The Cuban delegate also called on Israel to join the NPT and submit to international safeguards. She urged the international community to refrain from providing Israel with technological assistance in the nuclear field. Israel is not only a threat to the Middle East, but to the entire West, the Cuban representative said. Sounding a similar tune, the Venezuelan delegate urged Israel to join the NPT. The world cannot keep ignoring Israel's nuclear weapons, and certainly not after the Israeli prime minister admitted that Israel has such weapons, he said.
