Israeli nukes pose threat to Mideast

Abu Dhabi: Although Israel's nuclear ambitions and apparatus has been vague, it is widely accepted as one of the most powerful nuclear states in the world and that poses an imminent threat to the Gulf and the broader Middle East, an expert said at a conference on Nuclear Energy in the Gulf.

"We need to be clear, Israel is a major nuclear power. It has a policy of nuclear ambiguity...Aspects of Israel's nuclear programme are not understood or talked about," John Steinbach, a nuclear specialist on Israel said Wednesday on the closing day of the conference.

Steinbach addressed the French-Israeli relations during the 1960 Nuclear Test in Algeria.

"Israel did not have to test the bomb as they were working with the French plus the technical assistance that France gave in terms of providing the reactor at Dimona [an Israeli city in the Negev desert believed to be one of its largest nuclear plants] and providing the plutonium that went with the reactors," Steinbach said.

French-Israeli relations deteriorated during President Charles de Gaulle in the process of granting independence to Algeria. De Gaulle's opposition to Israel's preemptive strike on Egypt created a greater gap in Franco-Israel nuclear cooperation. Today, France is one of the key players in developing the UAE's nuclear programme with three French companies - Total, Suez and Areva. Steinbach highlighted Israel's nuclear capabilities, from fighter jets to submarines.

On the threat of Iran, Steinbach added, "Let's say Israel only has one hundred [nuclear] weapons. The number is irrelevant. But they have sophisticated ballistic missiles. What does Iran have? A few missiles. Are they very accurate? Absolutely not. They can reach Israel but not very accurately."