Carter Hits Failure Of West to Prod Israel on Nukes

Former President Jimmy Carter has criticized Western leaders and opinion-makers for failing to pressure Israel into acknowledging its nuclear weapons program and placing it under international inspection.

In a February 23 Washington Post article, he cited Israeli noncompliance as one of the problems besetting the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), which came under review in late April and May. Carter wrote:

“There is no public effort or comment in the United States or Europe calling for Israel to comply with the NPT or submit to any other restraints. At the same time, we fail to acknowledge what a powerful incentive this is to Iran, Syria, Iraq and Egypt to join the nuclear community.”

The former president is one of many world leaders who have called for the release of Mordechai Vanunu, the former nuclear technician imprisoned since 1986 for blowing the whistle on Israel’s clandestine nuclear weapons program.