On Saturday, Egypt called for all states in the Middle East to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) without exception and to place all nuclear facilities under the inspection of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Who Is Egypt Referring To?
Almost every country in the world has signed, ratified, or acceded to the NPT—except for India, Pakistan, Israel, and South Sudan.
- India and Pakistan are declared nuclear powers.
- Israel maintains deliberate ambiguity about whether it possesses nuclear weapons, though its program is widely recognised.
- South Sudan is not a nuclear state and is a newly established country.
- North Korea withdrew from the treaty in 2003 after initially being a signatory.
Egypt emphasised that the 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference decision to establish a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction represents a binding international commitment. Implementing it, Cairo argued, is essential to the credibility of the entire non-proliferation regime.
Is Israel a Nuclear State?
Israel’s nuclear ambitions date back to its founding leadership. The occupation’s first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, openly expressed his desire to acquire nuclear weapons, declaring that Jewish nuclear scientists in the United States—including figures like Robert Oppenheimer—could assist Israel in building its own bomb.
Ben-Gurion appointed Ernst David Bergmann, then head of the Weizmann Institute of Science, to lead Israel’s first nuclear team. Bergmann later became chairman of the Israeli Atomic Energy Commission and sent Israeli students abroad to strengthen the program.
Following Egypt’s nationalisation of the Suez Canal under President Gamal Abdel Nasser, France conspired with Israel to invade Sinai in exchange for providing Tel Aviv with a nuclear reactor. Shimon Peres, then Minister of Defence, was central to the deal.
Although the tripartite invasion failed, French Prime Minister Guy Mollet later admitted, “I owe Israel the atomic bomb.” His successor, Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury, even said he wanted to arm Israel with nuclear weapons “to prevent another Jewish Holocaust in the Middle East.”
In 1957, France signed two secret agreements with Israel—one for the Dimona nuclear reactor, and another for cooperation on plutonium production.
Western Backing and Secret Deals
When Charles de Gaulle became President of France, he insisted that Israel open its facilities to international inspection. Peres and French Foreign Minister Maurice Couve de Murville assured him that the program was “peaceful” to continue receiving uranium.
Later, the BBC revealed that the British government secretly supplied Israel with restricted nuclear materials, including fissile substances for bombs and 20 tons of heavy water via a Norwegian company, Noritam.
By the 1960s, Israel turned to Argentina to purchase yellowcake uranium, covertly acquiring 90 tons of uranium oxide.
Israel’s First Nuclear Bomb
According to Israeli-American researcher Avner Cohen, Israel built its first nuclear bomb in 1967, just before its war with the Arab states. He claimed the occupation nearly used nuclear weapons twice:
- In 1967 against the Arab countries.
- In 1973, when Defence Minister Moshe Dayan recommended nuclear use on October 9 and 17, with the approval of Prime Minister Golda Meir, who backed down at the last moment.
Treaties Signed – and Avoided
Israel joined the U.S. “Atoms for Peace” program in 1953, which provided equipment and training for peaceful nuclear research. In 1955, it signed a civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Washington.
However, Israel never signed the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement that allows the IAEA to monitor all civilian and military facilities. It also remains outside the NPT, making it the only nuclear-capable state in the Middle East not bound by non-proliferation commitments.
Not the First Arab Call
Egypt’s recent demand is not the first of its kind. Israel’s nuclear arsenal has long been a source of regional concern.
- In 2003, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Syria warned at the UN General Assembly that Israel’s nuclear program threatened regional stability.
- Then, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said it was “astonishing” that the IAEA ignored Israel’s refusal to sign the NPT, stressing that Israel’s arsenal was a danger to the region.
- Then, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said it was unacceptable for the world to turn a blind eye to Israel’s weapons.
- Then, Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa denounced the “selectivity” in addressing nuclear files, particularly regarding Israel’s nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons of mass destruction.
Analysis
Egypt’s demand underscores a longstanding regional truth: Israel’s undeclared nuclear arsenal remains one of the gravest threats to Middle Eastern stability. While Washington and Europe turn a blind eye, Arab states highlight the hypocrisy of demanding global disarmament while exempting Israel.
For many, Cairo’s call is not simply about legal commitments to the NPT—it is a reminder that justice, security, and balance cannot exist in the Middle East while Israel maintains nuclear weapons outside international scrutiny.
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