Hebrew short version:
http://cafe.themarker.com/view.php?t=495545
No real media attention was given to a stunning declaration made yesterday by Dalia Itzik, the Knesset Speaker. Greeting the French president Nicola Sarkozy she said among other things:
„… we remember the beautiful days of political and mainly security cooperation [between our countries – s.e.] and will be forever thankful to you, the French, for giving us the main source of power and deterrence that was and will be in our possession.“
(Source: Knesset website in Hebrew /http://www.knesset.gov.il/vip/speaker/heb/SpSpeech230608.htm). The statement was quoted partially in the Hebrew Ha‘aretz edition, which added: „… as is known the nuclear plant in Dimona was erected with a French aid.” (http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/spages/995439.html ) .
This official statement in the Knesset signals a real change in Israel's policy of nuclear opacity; i.e., Israel has refused to admit till now possessing nuclear weapons. This obvious lie was accepted by the US governments as the most convenient solution for the problem posed by the Israeli nukes. A talkbackist called Hass wrote correctly: „US law requires(d) the US to limit scientific/technical interactions with non-NPT nuclear armed states, and the “opacity” in question was specifically intended to allow Israel to circumvent these restrictions by agreeing to pretend that Israeli nukes don’t exist.“ ( http://www.armscontrolwonk.com/1321/israel-and-nuclear-opacity ).
The most plausible explanation for Itzik’s surprising statement is that Israel is preparing the ground for accepting Iranian nukes and institutionalizing a policy of „balance of terror“. The „balance of terror“ requires that both sides will possess weapons of mass destruction and the possession should be made known in order to deter the enemy from attacking.
Shraga Elam
Zurich/Switzerland
No comments:
Post a Comment