The delivery of a fifth Dolphin-class submarine to Israel from Germany is a worrying “ratcheting up” of tensions in the Middle East, according to two leading anti-nuclear campaigners.
The deployment of INS Rahav, allegedly capable of
launching cruise missiles with nuclear warheads, to the Israeli
navy has set off a number of worrying alarm bells, Jeremy Corbyn,
the British MP and deputy head of the Campaign for Nuclear
Disarmament tells RT.
“It’s very hard to see how these submarines that Germany is
supplying to Israel can be solely for defensive purposes, because
there is no sea-based threat to Israel and Israel needs to get on
board with the rest of the region and talk peace and talk about the
signature they’ve already given to the Mediterranean weapons of
Mass Destruction free zone. The delivery of these submarines is yet
one more ratcheting up of the danger.”
He explained that Israel already has the ability to launch nuclear
weapons whether on missiles or from bombs on airplanes and these
submarines could also be used – if converted – to deliver nuclear
weapons.
Corbyn questioned why Germany is paying a very large amount of
money to Israel’s defense costs by subsidizing the development and
delivery of these submarines.
“One just wonders if this isn’t part of a wider European
military involvement in North Africa and the Middle East region. It
is a very bad day for the development of a peace process across the
Middle East,” said Corbyn.
His thoughts were echoed by Bruce Gagnon, an anti-nuclear
campaigner based in Maine in the US. He told RT that he fails to
see how the fleet of new German submarines can be only for
defensive purposes and believes they are for projecting power
across the region and may be part of a larger global strategy to
expand NATO.
He also believes that it will be impossible to make any advances on
nuclear disarmament when Israel and the US refuse to admit that
Israel has nuclear weapons.
“The international community must continue to shine a light on
Israel’s possession of nuclear weapons, something they don’t want
to talk about, something the US doesn’t want to talk about,”
said Gagnon.
As well as Israel flouting international opinion by developing 200
nuclear warheads, responsibility also lies with the officials who
run and oversee the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, explained
Corbyn.
“The NPT have been very dilatory in their behavior in setting up
a nuclear weapons conference for the Middle East,” he
said.
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.