Biden-Bennett Meeting Reaffirmed Israeli “Nuclear Ambiguity”

YERUSHALAYIM
President Joe Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, Aug. 27. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

An item on the agenda of the Biden-Bennett meeting in Washington last week that was not publicized until now:

The two reaffirmed the understandings between the U.S. and Israel regarding Israel’s alleged undeclared military nuclear program, a senior Israeli official briefed on the meeting was quoted as saying by Axios.

This refers to a U.S. commitment not to press Israel to join the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty or give up its alleged nuclear arsenal, while Israel agrees to maintain its “nuclear ambiguity” and refrain from any nuclear tests or threats of a nuclear strike.

Reiteration of the policy has become de rigeur for every U.S. president since Richard Nixon in their first meeting with the Israeli prime minister.

The Prime Minister’s Office and the White House declined to comment on the matter.

Analysts believe Israel has had a military nuclear program since the late 1960s that now includes more than 200 warheads for its long-range Jericho missiles. Israel has never acknowledged any such program and claims it “won’t be the first country to introduce nuclear weapons to the Middle East.”

To Read The Full Story

Are you already a subscriber?
Click to log in!