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Arabs to pull out of NPT if Israel confirms nukes

Arab countries will walk away from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) if Israel ever officially acknowledges it has nuclear weapons, the Arab League said in a statement on Wednesday.

As Arab foreign ministers met at the Cairo headquarters of the Arab League to prepare for their annual summit at the end of the month, they also issued a series of statements on regional issues, including the extremely sensitive matter of Israel's refusal to join the NPT.

"As soon as Israel announces it has nuclear weapons, the Arab will announce their withdrawal from the Nonproliferation Treaty," the statement said.

Israel is believed to be the only country in the Middle East to have nuclear weapons, although it maintains a policy of "ambiguity," insisting it will not be the first to introduce nuclear weapons into the region, without confirming or denying their existence.

That policy was shaken late last year when Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert appeared to acknowledge Israel's possession of nuclear weapons in an interview with German TV. He later maintained he was misunderstood.

Arab countries, all of which are signatories to the treaty, have long called for a nuclear-free Middle East and expressed their concern over Israel's apparent possession of nuclear weapons.

The statement came as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Wednesday he intended to resume negotiations with Israel on a peace plan.

Amid relative calm yesterday, a series of explosions went off near an Israeli army position close to the border with the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, Palestinian witnesses reported. An Israeli military jeep was destroyed.
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