Is a nuclear-weapon-free Middle East possible?

Briefing 05-07-2013

A Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (NWFZ) is seen as a useful instrument to implement multilateral agreements prohib­iting acquisition, stocking, and testing of nuclear weapons. As for the Middle East, talks have been in the air for decades. However, due to hostility between Israelis and Palestinians, frozen diplomatic relations, Israeli and Iranian nuclear ambitions and the unstable political situation in the region talks have not yet materialised. Hopes were dampened when the Helsinki conference, scheduled for late 2012, was postponed. But recently there have been signals that the process could be revived.