US Secretary of State Marco Rubio faced sharp questioning from a\nDemocratic congressman regarding Israel\u2019s possession of nuclear weapons.\nDuring a hearing on Wednesday, Rubio chose not to give an explicit\nanswer, reinforcing a decades-old diplomatic taboo in Washington.<\/p>\n
Congressman Joaquin Castro pressed Rubio to clarify the US position\non its closest ally\u2019s nuclear programme. In response, Rubio offered only\na vague diplomatic reply.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost of the world assesses that they (Israel) have them,\u201d Rubio told\nCastro. However, he declined to share the official US government\nposition on Israel\u2019s nuclear weaponry and suggested the matter be\ndiscussed in a closed or classified meeting.<\/p>\n
This exchange highlights the longstanding US policy known as\nstrategic ambiguity. Washington officially refrains from publicly\nacknowledging or discussing Israel\u2019s nuclear programme. Rubio himself\nacknowledged that this silence is a feature of US foreign policy.<\/p>\n
Castro, however, stressed that transparency is urgently needed now,\ngiven that the US is engaged in military tensions alongside Israel\nagainst Iran. \u201cIf they do have nuclear weapons, we don\u2019t know what their\n\u2018red line\u2019 is for using them,\u201d Castro asserted.<\/p>\n
He expressed shock that the US government appeared to make no effort\nto provide such crucial information to congressional oversight bodies\nresponsible for making strategic decisions regarding war.<\/p>\n
Israel is widely believed to possess a nuclear arsenal, although it\nis not a signatory to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear\nWeapons (NPT). To date, Tel Aviv has never officially confirmed nor\ndenied the existence of such weapons of mass destruction.<\/p>\n
The issue has become increasingly sensitive after several Israeli\nofficials previously made controversial statements. In November 2023,\nHeritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu suggested that dropping a nuclear bomb\non Gaza was an option. In the US, pro-Israel politicians such as Randy\nFine have also called for the use of nuclear force against Palestine,\ncomparing it to the US attack on Japan during World War II.<\/p>\n
Castro, along with 30 other members of parliament, sent a letter to\nthe State Department requesting clarification. They argued the US cannot\nformulate a coherent non-proliferation policy in the Middle East if it\ncontinues to maintain an official policy of silence regarding the\nnuclear capabilities of one of the main parties in the conflict.<\/p>\n
Rubio eventually stated that Castro\u2019s question was a fair one.\nHowever, he insisted that a more complete answer could only be provided\nin a classified format due to the very delicate balance of diplomatic\ninterests involved.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/us-congress-questions-israels-nuclear-weapons-foreign-minister-marco-rubio-responds-1780557705", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }