Nuclear security

'Israel's Nuclear Weapons Have a Stabilizing Effect on the Region' - Scholar

The US administration has said Israel should not be forced to abandon its nuclear weapons until Middle Eastern nations recognize its right to exist. The remark came after Israel accused Iran of forcing other states to seek a nuclear arsenal. Radio Sputnik talked to Professor Efraim Inbar, president of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategic Studies.

Sputnik: What's your take on this latest US statement?

Efraim Inbar: Well, there is no novelty in it because this is position of all US presidents in the past. The new twist to it is that it was made public. It shouldn't really surprise us because President Trump is not bound by diplomatic precedent, so he said what all other American presidents said in a closed room. This is probably the first issue revealed between Israeli Prime Minister and a new US president.

Sputnik: What exactly is known about Israel's nuclear arsenal? It hasn't confirmed or denied whether it possesses nuclear weapons but what information is out there?

Efraim Inbar: I think there are lot of reports about the great number of Israeli nuclear weapons and means for delivery, be it airplanes or missiles. Again, this is not news.