(New York Times) Mark Landler - At a meeting to review the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty in May, the U.S. yielded to demands by Arab nations that the final document urge Israel to sign the treaty. Israel believed it had assurances from the Obama administration that it would reject efforts to include such a reference, an Israeli official said. In a recent visit to Washington, Israel's defense minister, Ehud Barak, raised the issue in meetings with senior American officials. Some analysts said the nuclear nonproliferation issue symbolizes why Israel remains insecure about the intentions of the Obama administration. In addition to singling out Israel, the document calls for a regional conference in 2012 to lay the groundwork for a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East. Israel would be on the hot seat at such a meeting.
2010-07-05 08:31:47Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive