Time for a Middle East ‘Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone’

February 2014 - On first hearing the proposal for a Middle East ‘Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone’ (WMDFZ), many reply that Israel will never agree to give up its nuclear weapons. Never. Ever. Period. But the Middle East is evolving to a point where Israel may well re-assess its nuclear options. 

A little history: As part of the agreement for the indefinite extension of the 1970 nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the 1995 NPT Review Conference passed a resolution, co-sponsored by the US, calling for negotiations for a Middle East WMDFZ. Since 1970, Egypt and other countries have pushed hard for this because of the imbalance in the region: Only Israel has nuclear weapons. 

But no negotiations happened. Then, at the 2010 NPT Review Conference, the US, UK, and Russia agreed to coordinate a Middle East WMDFZ Conference by Dec. 2012. 

In Nov. 2012, the conference was postponed indefinitely because Israel "had not reached agreement with regional countries on acceptable conditions for a conference." Many countries were furious at these decades-long delaying tactics. Egypt walked out of the 2013 NPT Preparatory Committee meeting because of the "unacceptable and continuous failure" to convene a Middle East WMDFZ Conference. Several countries talked about quitting the NPT. This April, these issues will dominate the 2014 NPT Preparatory Committee meeting. 

If they were to quit the NPT, Iran and Egypt would be free to build nuclear bombs and Saudi Arabia could call in nuclear weapons "sitting ready for delivery" in Pakistan. The possibility of this extent of nuclear proliferation among Middle East countries may bring them all to conclude that "No Regional Nuclear Weapons" would be a safer course of action. 

Ask President Obama to call and work for a Middle East WMDFZ Conference, and to press Israel to participate. Point out that if other countries quit the NPT and acquire their own nuclear weapons—it would be a catastrophe for all, including Israel and the US.

CONTACT:

Web: www.whitehouse.gov/contact

Tel: 202 456-1111 (9:00 am to 5:00 pm)

Fax: 202 456-2461

Mail:

President Barack Obama

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20500

Photo credit: Beach Wedding, Tulum, Mexico, Lois Barber, 2013