Will this increase or decrease the likelihood of terrorist actions in America, Europe and the rest of the world?

If you were a member of a family murdered in this conflict, would you be seeking revenge?

Should Tzipi Livni and Ehud Olmert, be tried for war crimes if or when this conflict comes to an end?

What will the price of oil be in 4 weeks time?

The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court of 1998 (Article 8(b)(viii)) defines “the transfer directly or indirectly by the Occupying Power of parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies” as a War Crime indictable by the International Criminal Court.

An interesting vote today at the UN bearing in mind that Israel doesn't want Iran to have nuclear weapons, but has had its own since 1967 and always refuses inspection.

The United Nations passed, Tuesday, an overwhelming vote calling for inspecting Israel nuclear facilities, and called on Israel to open its facilities for this inspection especially since Tel Aviv never allowed international inspectors access to its nuclear facilities.

The vote passed with 174 votes for the inspection, while six countries voted against, and six abstentions. The vote also calls on Israel to join the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty without further delay.

The countries that voted against the resolution were Israel, the United States, Canada, Palau, Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands.

It is worth mentioning that Israel, along with Pakistan, India and North Korea, refuses to become members of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

Not really worth mentioning at all. Possession of nuclear weapons is perhaps the only reason Israel hasn't been destroyed by its sworn enemies.

You need to take a break from this subject Greg, you're as rabid as the loons in Israel and what little remains of Palestine. No perspective, no objectivity and no sense.

Possession of nuclear weapons has made no difference to Israel's existence, It is the support of the US that has saved Israel, mainly due to supplying advanced weapons and almost limitless funds when they request them. Israel got nuclear weapons as a result of the various conflicts they had been involved in up to 1967. As it turned out, they have never needed nuclear weapons. The idea of Israel detonating a nuclear bomb anywhere in the ME is somewhat absurd. It is really no deterrent at all. They seem to feel possessing a nuclear deterrent gives them the balance of power in the region. That may be be a better explanation of why they don't want Iran to have it.

Israel is an expanding colonial country of the worst kind. Nothing they say can ever be trusted. Peace talks are just delaying tactics as they scoop up more and more land.

This is a bit more like it!

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/merkel-to-warn-netanyahu-promote-peace-process-or-face-world-seclusion-1.482465

Merkel to warn Netanyahu: Promote peace process or face world seclusion
Prime minister to meet German chancellor in Berlin on Wednesday evening
Merkel is expected to tell Netanyahu that he must choose between promoting the peace process and establishing a Palestinian state, a move that would secure the existence of Israel as a Jewish democratic state, or continue expanding settlements, thus leading to the transformation of Israel into an apartheid state that is isolated internationally.

Haystack , your begining to make Fred sound reasonable.

What's your problem with Israel ?

Would you rather the nutters in Palestine/Syria etc have nuke capabilities than them ?

Put yourself in their position and tell us what you would do different.

HS (and his handler fahel) is incapable of even a modicum of objectivity and thus, to my mind and seemingly many others, loses virtually all credibility ..... for this reason, i stayed away from this thread for many months as it really was too tedious going round and round with the same mantra being incessantly repeated

Dil,

It would seem that my opinions correspond to the majority of the world's opinion about Israel and its abuses of it "American" based power.

I think that it is no longer acceptable that one country or race is allowed to play by one set of rules and another to ignore them or change them at their own will.

I cannot see why it is right that a small population such as the UK can have Nuclear ability, but another can't.

(I may prefer it.)

It is time for Israel to change its policies, before the backlash becomes intolerable.

this nuclear non-proliferation is a tricky issue for pretty obvious reasons, that surely do not yet more endless (and entrenched) discussion here
i think if robert oppenheimer could have put the genie back in the bottle he would have done

i can't be bothered to backtrack through all the latest postings, but i can't see the connection between israel's current behaviour and stance and allowing free nuclear hand to the likes of iran

Cynic,

You are missing the point, that it is an "attitude" of one country, nationality, race, group to another that we are better than you and we know (believe) that you are not as responsible as us, and therefore don't have the same rights to "self administration" government, holidays, social advantages, etc., as us.

(You are girl and I am a boy, and you should do as I tell you, because I "believe" it so.)

(With 4 daughters and a wife I sometimes wish my previous statement was so.)

"I cannot see why it is right that a small population such as the UK can have Nuclear ability, but another can't."

Are you suggesting that we start flogging our nuclear capability to any tin pot nation wishing to buy it Fred ?

Fred - what on earth has your last post got to do with nuclear proliferation?

Dil,


It would be "from one tin pot nation to another"!

You are being your usual obtuse self.


Cynic,

I will try to connect it up for you.

Israel so called strength is based on its armaments and including nuclear and American weaponry.

Its ability to abuse those around it due to those strengths.

Any attempt to balance the economic and military power and/or strengthen the Palestinian or Arab "negotiating" position are immediately denounced by Israel and its reducing number of "allies".

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What are the supposed reason for UK having a Nuclear ability.

(Economic, military and political reasons.)

The same reasons can be applied for other states.

Fred - you're off your trolley again, trying to make certain irrelevant facts fit your theory ..... sorry mate, but you're talking bollocks

Cynic,

With regard your last posting, it is easy to understand why there are ongoing problems in the ME.

if you say so

=============

i assume you are therefore saying that allowing iran (and similar) nuclear weapons would be a "good thing" for world peace

can't think of (m)any who would agree

Why is there no pressure for Israel to give up their nuclear weapons?

Cynic,

You are once again assuming too many things.

I would prefer non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

I can understand the arguments surrounding the their "thought to be necessity" and even have some sympathy for their use in WW2.

However, I think that the possession of them by Israel allows them to behave as ME bullies.

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The old arguments for UK. France, USA to have them was based on "balance of power". I think it was an inane argument, and think at the time of the introduction of those arguments that the world was “worn out by war”, but admit that some think it stemmed the likelihood of ongoing encroachment of Europe by USSR.

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Since that time there has been a proliferation of "nuclear states". The ”good boys” have used them and are using "nuclear depleted" armaments.

It is interesting that Israel has always refused to sign the non-proliferation treaty and continues to do so. That is hypocritical in the extreme when they say that Iran should not have nuclear weapons. Iran should say to Israel that they will not get nuclear weapons if Israel gives them up. The atomic energy authority keeps being refused inspection of Iran's facilities, but of course they also get refused permission to inspect Israel's. On that basis, I think it is only reasonable for Iran to be allowed to have the weapons as well.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/palestinians-to-ask-un-security-council-to-stop-2-massive-israeli-settlements-near-jerusalem/2012/12/05/615e5204-3ebd-11e2-8a5c-473797be602c_story.html

RAMALLAH, West Bank — The Palestinians will ask the U.N. Security Council to demand a halt to construction of two large Israeli settlements near Jerusalem, a senior Palestinian official said Wednesday.

The Security Council bid is part of an escalating international showdown over Israeli settlement building plans the Palestinians see as a final blow to Mideast peace hopes.

The Palestinians hope to get a binding U.N. resolution — something that would require that the U.S. does not cast a veto in the Security Council as it did nearly two years ago to shield close ally Israel from censure over the settlements.

The U.S. would have to block the construction through other means if it wants to avoid a veto, said the Palestinian official, Saeb Erekat. Israel, already increasingly isolated over its settlement policy, could flout a Security Council decision, but at a high diplomatic cost.