IAEA reports progress with Israel on nuclear issue
JERUSALEM (CNN) -- The United Nation's atomic watchdog chief says he has a commitment from the Israeli government to discuss the concept of a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East.
But Israeli officials told CNN on Thursday that International Atomic Energy Agency Director Mohamed ElBaradei's three-day visit had not affected Israel's long-standing policy of nuclear ambiguity.
They added that they were not going to address the issue of whether that policy will change in the near future.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said he was willing to open talks about a nuclear-free Middle East as long as it was part of a broader peace process.
For nearly 50 years, Israel has neither confirmed nor denied it has nuclear weapons. It has not signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
Most estimates put the country's stockpile at more than 100 bombs. If so, Israel would be the world's sixth-ranked nuclear power, just after Britain.
"What I have achieved at least is to get the Israeli government at level of prime minister to work towards a nuclear-weapons-free zone in Middle East and commitment to discuss this concept as part of road map and peace process," ElBaradei said.
At a briefing in Washington before ElBaradei's visit, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom expressed concern about Iran's nuclear program.
The United States and Israel define that program as a threat but Iran calls it peaceful and strictly for energy purposes.
"Making [Israel's nuclear program] public would make it even more of an arms race, and dismantling would leave Israel very vulnerable to attacks," said Gerald M. Steinberg, a professor of political studies and an expert on diplomatic and political issues at Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan, Israel.
"Israel is a very small country and Israel very much fears threats from the outside ... particularly when you have statements from countries like Iran saying that Israel should be wiped out off the face of the Earth."
In a news report Tuesday, issued from Iran by the Islamic Republic News Agency, Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi reiterated that "we will not compromise our right for peaceful use of nuclear energy."
The agency reported that he said Iran will resume discussions over its nuclear program this month with Britain, France and Germany.
ElBaradei's visit to Israel coincided with the launch by Israel's atomic energy commission of its first Web site.
It does not mention atomic weapons because, a commission spokesman said, "We are not going to put everything on the site. No company does that."
