Egypt's Nuclear Diplomacy: Ignoring the Elephant in the Nuclear Reactor
Egypt has indeed championed a nuclear-free Middle East for decades, a stance highlighted in The New Arab's recent piece. What's often left unsaid, and critically, what Cairo must navigate, is the not-so-secret nuclear program of its direct neighbor, Israel. Established in the 1960s, allegedly with French assistance, Dimona's reactor has churned out an estimated 80-90 warheads, making Israel the
region's sole, undeclared nuclear power, as detailed by organizations like the Federation of American Scientists. This means Egypt isn't just brokering peace; they're politely asking a country that already possesses a clandestine nuclear arsenal to disarm. The US, which provides billions in military aid to Israel annually, has consistently turned a blind eye, blocking international inspections and
even refusing to acknowledge the program's existence. So, can Egypt be a nuclear deal-maker? Only if they can convince the regional superpower—and its global patron—to acknowledge that nuclear weapons exist in the first place.