"Apart from two plants in Dimona, Israel established
a number of other nuclear plants in Nahal Suryak, south of Tel Aviv in
1958 and in Raishon Liston and Haifa."
CAIRO -- Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has spelled out clearly
his reasons for accepting the Middle East road map with 14 reservations.
During the Aqaba summit on June 6, he said: 'Permanent peace requires permanent
security. This permanent security will bring about permanent peace to Israel.'
To accept peace on Sharonís terms would make the proposed Palestinian
state a mockery in the service of Israelís security.
The most dangerous thing is that Israel is allowed to possess all kinds
of weapons of mass destruction while Arab countries are denied these weapons
under the pretext that Israel is under threat.
Israel has said that it is not yet time to look at its nuclear arsenal
and weapons of mass destruction because it has not yet attained permanent
security and peace.
As a result, Israel has become a depot for nuclear, chemical and biological
weapons threatening the security of Arab, Asian and European countries.
Does Israel require this large arsenal of banned weapons? The French constructed
the Dimona nuclear reactor and produced enriched uranium. Israel was ready
to produce its first nuclear bomb as early as 1965.
In March 1969, Moshe Dayan celebrated the birth of the Israeli nuclear
state and the Israeli nuclear scientist Vannunu has acknowledged that his
country was in 6th position in the nuclear club in the 1980s. According
to one estimate, Israel possesses at least 100 nuclear bombs.
Apart from two plants in Dimona, Israel established a number of other nuclear
plants in Nahal Suryak, south of Tel Aviv in 1958 and in Raishon Liston
and Haifa. In 1994, US President Bill Clinton approved nine supercomputers
to meet the needs of Israelís nuclear program. Informed sources
have estimated that Israel has 100 to 200 nuclear warheads, but another
report put the figure at more than 500.
Quoting Vannunu, American journalist Seymour Hersh says in his book that
Israel possesses about 300 nuclear warheads. He also says that he has got
information indicating Israel possesses hundreds of nitrogen bombs. Reports
have confirmed that Israel has various types of nuclear weapons including
nuclear bombs which could be dropped from planes, missile warheads, in
addition to 25 hydrogen bombs.
Israel also holds an unspecified numbers of tactical weapons.
At least three international sources have confirmed that Israel had not
only produced nuclear mines but spread them in various regions at different
periods of the Arab-Israeli conflict, especially in Golan and Naqab during
the military confrontation with Egypt in October 1973 and in January 1991.
The question is: Who can ask the international community to disarm Israel
of its mass destructive weapons?
Arab News (arabnews.com) Published at the Arab News |