Israel’s nuclear chief told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conference Wednesday his country could share nuclear technology and know-how with Arab and Muslim nations who were part of the Trump-brokered Abraham Accords.
“We are hopeful that the new spirit in our region, as demonstrated in the ‘Abraham Accords,’ will mark a path forward for meaningful direct dialogue within our region, including in the nuclear fora,” Director-general of the Israel Atomic Energy Commission Moshe Edri told the confab in Vienna.
“Israel’s state-of-the-art technology provides us with significant levels of knowledge and capabilities, which we are ready to share with others, of course under the IAEA umbrella,” he said.
“It is now clear that Iran conducted a military nuclear program, gaining technology and knowledge, aimed to produce elements for a nuclear weapon device. These activities took place in many undeclared sites, using various nuclear materials,” he said.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain, with whom Israel is signed on the Abraham Accords normalizing relations, share a common interest with the Jewish state in combating the Iranian threat.
Addressing Iran, Edri noted the regime’s nuclear program has been under the investigation by the IAEA for many years.
Tehran has conditioned a return to the tattered nuclear deal on an end to an IAEA probe at three undeclared sites in Iran, in which uranium traces were found.
However, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi on Monday vowed the investigation would continue.
In his speech, Edri said: “Iran has continuously failed to provide credible explanations, or clarifications, regarding the nature of these past activities, and continues to deceive the Agency, and the international community concerning its clandestine nuclear activities.
“The recent Board of Governors resolution, condemning Iran’s lack of cooperation with the Agency, and long overdue open questions, reflects the growing international concerns regarding Iran’s ill conduct.
“Moreover, Iran continues to develop, test and deploy long range ballistic missiles, in direct violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions, and supports terrorist organizations throughout the Middle East. Iran, obtaining nuclear weapons, is not an option that Israel, nor the world, can tolerate.”
He went on to note that four out of five recognized cases of violations of the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons treaty known as the NPT are located in the Middle East — Iran, Iraq, Libya, and Syria, Edri noted.
He slammed the IAEA’s ‘Arab Group’ of “abusing” its position to “single out Israel,” including ensuring that an “Israeli Nuclear Capabilities” item was on the agenda every year: “This useless political act is in contradiction to the overall positive spirit in our region. These acts are bound to fail.”
“Today, more than ever, nuclear security and safety, must be a top priority on a global level…
“The discussion on nuclear security is especially important today, in light of recent events in the Ukraine. Threats to nuclear security and safety have no boundaries.
“We must not ignore the repeated and explicit threats to attack Israel’s nuclear facilities by Iran and its proxies. Last year, Israel’s nuclear research centers were once again directly targeted. These threats require Israel to take action and continue to protect its nuclear facilities. Facilities which are upgraded and reinforced in line with IAEA Safety Standards in order to deal with any attack.