(Institute for National Security Studies-Tel Aviv University) Shimon Stein and Ephraim Asculai - Egypt views the annual conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), held this year on Sept. 19 in Vienna, as a proper forum for advancing its efforts to dismantle Israel's alleged nuclear capabilities. Last year the IAEA defeated a proposal on Israel in a 51-46 vote. In the end, estimating that they would not be able to guarantee a majority in this year's conference plenum, the Arab nations decided to withdraw their draft resolution. Some would explain the Arab failure by the difficulty in agreeing on a uniform stance and inadequate inter-Arab coordination, apparently in light of the Arab spring, which deflected the attention of the Arab nations towards what they regarded as more urgent issues. In addition, Israel's success may be attributed to an improved diplomatic campaign and better coordination with the U.S. and EU. Yet Egypt and its Arab partners will likely not miss future opportunities to denounce Israel on the nuclear issue.
2011-10-07 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive