INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Progress with Egypt On Nuclear Nonproliferation

Published: Tue 5 Jan 2010 06:31 AM
VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB
DE RUEHTV #0011 0050631
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O 050631Z JAN 10 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4839
INFO RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 5186
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA PRIORITY 0167
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 9603
S E C R E T TEL AVIV 000011
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/04/2020
TAGS: PREL PARM MNUC EG IR
SUBJECT: PROGRESS WITH EGYPT ON NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION
ISSUES?
REF: 09 TEL AVIV 2757
Classified By: Ambassador James B. Cunningham, reasons 1.4 (b),(d)
1. (S) On December 31, National Security Advisor Uzi Arad
told the Ambassador that on the margins of PM Netanyahu's
December 29 visit to Cairo, Arad discussed with FM Abul Gheit
Egypt's on-going attempts to inject Israel into various
nuclear discussions and fora. Arad described a very candid
discussion in which he argued that what Egypt is doing has no
effect on Israel in real terms, while real world
proliferation trends are negative. Egyptian sniping at
Israel creates tension in their relationship, Arad said --
but more importantly, distracts attention from genuine issues
of concern (i.e., Iran) to all in the region.
2. (S) Arad also argued that going down the path of pursuing
a Middle East Nuclear Weapons Free Zone (NWFZ) will require
taking a critical look at what Syria, Iran, Libya, and even
Egypt itself are doing in the nuclear field. He assured Abul
Gheit that Israel, in the long term, supports a genuine NWFZ
and that should be an ultimate goal.
3. (S) According to Arad, Abul Gheit responded that the
Israeli ambassador in Vienna should seek out his Egyptian
counterpart, and that there should be discussions between
capitals "to see what we can do" to find common ground while
showing movement toward addressing the issue. Arad took this
as a positive step, and said PM Netanyahu had approved the
proposed discussions in Vienna.
CUNNINGHAM
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