The State Department repeated Monday its long-standing request that Israel accept international safeguards and inspection for its nuclear facilities.
“We believe that regional security will be enhanced if all states in the region would adhere to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty,” State Department deputy spokesman Charles Redman said. “We are concerned about the existence of unsafeguarded nuclear facilities in Israel and made our concern known to the government of Israel.”
Redman’s comments came after he was asked about a report in the London Sunday Times that Israel has 200 nuclear warheads. He would not comment on whether the U.S. believes Israel has any such warheads.
“Israel has stated that it will not be the first state to introduce nuclear weapons in the region,” Redman said. He added that Israeli Premier Shimon Peres “reiterated that policy” on Monday.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
