Israel recoils as Washington’s unprecedented backing for a UN resolution for a nuclear-free Middle East singles out Israel

Israel recoils as US backs nuclear move
http://jordantimes.com/?news=27043

By Marius Schattner
Agence France-Presse

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM - Washington’s unprecedented backing for a UN resolution for a nuclear-free Middle East that singles out Israel has both angered and deeply worried the Israeli government although officials are cagey about openly criticising their biggest ally.

The resolution adopted by the United Nations on Friday calls on Israel to join the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and urges it to open its facilities to inspection.

It also calls for a regional conference in 2012 to advance the goal of a nuclear-free Middle East.

Israel is widely believed to be the only nuclear power in the Middle East, with around 200 warheads, but has maintained a policy of deliberate ambiguity about its capabilities since the mid-1960s.

The document, which singles out Israel but makes no mention of Iran’s controversial nuclear programme, drew a furious reaction from Israel who decried it as “deeply flawed and hypocritical”.

But it was US backing for the resolution which has caused the most consternation among Israeli officials and commentators, who interpreted the move as “a resounding slap around the face” which has dealt a very public blow to Israel’s long-accepted policy of nuclear ambiguity.

Publicly, the Israel government has not criticised the US position but privately, officials expressed deep disappointment over the resolution, which Washington backed despite intensive Israeli efforts to block it.

According to the top-selling Yediot Aharonot daily, the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was “furious with the Obama administration for having failed to prevent the resolution from passing... and for choosing to support it”.

“The American support for the resolution, after decades in which it supported Israel on this issue, came as a complete surprise,” the paper said.

“In the secret talks that Netanyahu held with Obama’s men... Israel was promised that the resolution would not focus on Israel and that if it did, the Americans would vote against.”...read more