PM Netanyahu Cancels Trip To Obama Nuke Summit

Love|Peace While Russia and the US again making progress on a treaty to contain nuclear proliferation and get expired, joint inspections of nuclear facilities back on track, Israeli President Netanyahu has withdrawn from President Obama’s nuclear summit in Washington next week.

Mr Netanyahu was scheduled to be the first Israeli leader to attend such a conference, after receiving assurances that the summit wouldn’t focus on Israel’s own nukes.

If Israel joined the Non-Proliferation Treaty it would have to submit to inspections of its nuclear reactor near the Negev desert city of Dimona, believed to be the site of the country’s nuclear arsenal. Today’s London Times reports that Israel fears that Turkey will challenge its nuclear arsenal, in spite of President Obama’s assurances.

Israel says that the focus of the conference is nuclear terrorism and everyone knows a rogue state when they see one. Instead of attending the summit himself, Mr Netanyahu will send his deputy Dan Meridor to Washington, officials said. via London Times