Owning Up to Israel’s Bomb
Israel’s policy of nuclear ambiguity has remained practically unchallenged for almost 50 years, not least within Israel itself. But, by reversing that policy, Israel might be able to affirm its capacity for nuclear deterrence more convincingly, and, more importantly, underscore the urgency of a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East.
TEL AVIV – President Barack Obama’s vision of a world without nuclear weapons, and the recent agreement he signed with Russia aimed at cutting back the nuclear stockpiles of both countries, enhances his moral and political leadership. But how will his campaign against nuclear proliferation affect Israel, widely seen as the world’s sixth nuclear weapon state, and so far the only one in the Middle East?