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Vol. 19 No. 1 , 2013
A Middle East Without Weapons of Mass Destruction
Editorial

International concern over the need to establish a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) is not attracting enough attention. The failure to date to reach an international arrangement over the Iranian nuclear program, the problems created by Israel's nuclear ambiguity policy, the fear of a nuclear arms race in the region, and the pushing of radical Islamic groups to the corner are increasingly posing a threat to regional security and stability in the Middle East.

Public opinion in the Middle East is focused more on daily life and politics. But this fact by itself should make us more worried. Neglecting or underestimating this danger will not make it vanish. On the contrary, it makes us all more vulnerable.

The Palestine-Israel Journal (PIJ) is interested in keeping this issue alive on the regional and international agenda. In March 2010, we devoted an issue of the PIJ to this topic, and since then we have be
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Table of Contents
    Editorial
  1. Why a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and WMD ( )

    By Ziad AbuZayyad and Hillel Schenker Vol. 19 No. 1 2013
    2. Focus
  2. Security without Nuclear Weapons: The Regional-International Nexus ( )
    Putting human security needs ahead of national military concerns opens up options, opportunities and processes for banning and eliminating nuclear weapons.
    By Rebecca Johnson Vol. 19 No. 1 2013
  3. Building Sustainable Security for Southwest Asia: A Regional Integration Process of the Highest Priority ( )
    A nuclear weapons-free zone is the only sustainable option for regional security and in the best interests of both Israel and Iran.
    By Ali Fathollah-Nejad Vol. 19 No. 1 2013
  4. Missed Opportunities to Rid the Middle East of WMD ( )
    The UN, the Arab League, third PrepCom officials and civil society should all work proactively to convene the Middle East Conference before the end of 2013.
    By Mahmoud Karem Vol. 19 No. 1 2013
  5. Let’s Make Peace, Not Weapons of Mass Destruction ( )
    An Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement could neutralize the Iranian nuclear peril and allow the long-term possibility of making the ME a nuclear weapons-free zone, Israel included.
    By Edy Kaufman and Manuel Hassassian Vol. 19 No. 1 2013
  6. A Middle East Free of Weapons of Mass Destruction: Obstacles and Hopes ( )
    Obstacles including the “no peace” excuse can be addressed via CBMs, the pursuit of peace and disarmament on parallel tracks and a global nuclear weapons ban.
    By Sharon Dolev Vol. 19 No. 1 2013
  7. The Expected Scenarios of Future Disarmament in the Middle East: Aftermath of the Postponement of the 2012 Helsinki Conference ( )
    Disarmament does not depend only on efforts of Arabs and Iran, but also on Israel’s political desire to provide security to its citizens through regional cooperation.
    By Haidy Yehia Ghoneim Vol. 19 No. 1 2013
  8. Palestinian Perceptions Toward Weapons of Mass Destruction ( )
    A survey shows that Palestinians recognize the danger of WMD to global security and oppose the acquisition of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons in the ME.
    By Jamil Rabah Vol. 19 No. 1 2013
  9. Nuclear Disarmament in the ME: What Happened to the 2010 NPT RevCom Decision to Hold an International Conference on a WMD-Free Zone? — An Israeli View ( )
    Having pursued “gradual” disarmament outside the NPT while maintaining nuclear ambiguity, Israel will have to face the question: “ambiguity vs. ambiguity” or “not for us and not for them”?
    By Shemuel Meir Vol. 19 No. 1 2013
  10. The Academic Peace Orchestra ME — Experiences and Lessons Learned ( )
    Future Track II activities might concentrate on the level of domestic politics, including empowering civil society movements as the rising agents of change.
    By Bernd W. Kubbig and Christian Weidlich Vol. 19 No. 1 2013
  11. Bridging the Gaps — Building Political Momentum: The Role of Parliamentarians in Advancing a ME Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction ( )
    With civil society’s help, parliamentarians could play a vital role in bridging political divisions, and building momentum to ensure success of a WMD-free zone
    By Alyn Ware and Dr. Aytug Atici Vol. 19 No. 1 2013
  12. The Multilateral Dimension of the Middle East WMD-Free Zone: United Nations, IAEA and NPT ( )
    Framing a Middle East WMD-free zone as a global, not regional, priority offers a way to transcend the dispute over whether peace must precede disarmament or vice versa.
    By Randy Rydell Vol. 19 No. 1 2013
  13. A Nuclear-Free Zone in the Middle East: Realistic or Idealistic? ( )
    To ensure national, regional and global security, Israel must join the process of creating a nuclear weapons-free zone, recognizing that peace is not a precondition for such a zone but a part of it.
    By Baria Yussef Ahmar Vol. 19 No. 1 2013
  14. A Middle East Zone Free of Weapons of Mass Destruction: Roadblocks and Opportunities ( )
    What is needed is a multi-layered dialogue to engage a critical mass of policy-makers, opinionmakers and civil society from across the ME’s political and socio-cultural spectrum.
    By Joseph A. Camilleri Vol. 19 No. 1 2013
  15. Obama Sharpens His Nuclear Posture ( )
    The United States has failed to comply with the obligation to negotiate in good faith for a nuclear weapons-free world, but the tide of resistance to nuclear weapons is rising.
    By Peter Weiss Vol. 19 No. 1 2013
  16. Nuclear Weapons, Elephants, Israel and the World Court ( )
    A multinational treaty that recognizes Israel’s and Palestine’s permanent existences and provides for nuclear and other disarmament is needed.
    By James Friedberg Vol. 19 No. 1 2013
  17. Nuclear Non-Proliferation, Rogue Actors and the Middle East ( )
    Economic sanctions and the threat of a strike on its nuclear installations, along with an offer of normalization, may force Iran to renounce its nuclear ambitions.
    By Emmanuel Seitelbach Vol. 19 No. 1 2013
  18. Bringing a Humanitarian Approach to a Nuclear and Other WMD-Free Zone in the Middle East — A Japanese Perspective ( )
    Focusing on the human, environmental and humanitarian consequences of WMD, with civil society playing an active role, could bring about a paradigm shift.
    By Akira Kawasaki and Céline Nahory Vol. 19 No. 1 2013
    19. Special Report
  19. A Historic, Unprecedented Discussion in the Knesset on the Nuclear Question ( )
    Edited transcript of a Knesset Science and Technology Committee session on nuclear weapons and security, with a discussion on a presentation by Dr. Ira Helfand, under the auspices of MK Dov Khenin and MK Tamar Zandberg.
    Vol. 19 No. 1 2013
    20. Interview
  20. “Is a two-state solution still possible? Nothing else is possible” ( )

    By Uri Avnery Vol. 19 No. 1 2013
    21. Viewpoint
  21. The Truly New Middle East: Interesting, Fluid, Frightening and Promising ( )
    A regional union will be possible only with a joint, multilateral effort to achieve a Middle East free of nuclear and all other weapons of mass destruction.
    By Avraham Burg Vol. 19 No. 1 2013
  22. The EU’s New Guidelines on Israel: A Bureaucratic Move Leads to a Political Earthquake ( )
    The EU policy to clearly distinguish between Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories helps diminish the influence of people who do not make this distinction.
    By Jörg Knocha Vol. 19 No. 1 2013
  23. The New Geopolitics of the Natural Gas in the Levant ( )
    The discovery of large quantities of natural gas gives Israel and Cyprus leverage that will help them strengthen their political position in the region for their mutual benefit.
    By Nikolas (Nicos) Panayiotides Vol. 19 No. 1 2013
  24. Political Islam Has Not Failed ( )
    If Islamic parties in the Middle East and North Africa have lost some credibility, political Islam can still be effective if it offers a coherent political and economic program.
    By Kamilia Lahrichi Vol. 19 No. 1 2013
    25. Book Review
  25. Whistleblowers and the Bomb: Vanunu, Israel and Nuclear Secrecy by Yoel Cohen ( )
    Reviewed by Hillel Schenker
    Vol. 19 No. 1 2013
  26. The Impacts of Lasting Occupation: Lessons from Israeli Society edited by Daniel Bar-Tal and Izhak Schnell; Occupation Diaries by Raja Shehadeh ( )
    Reviewed by Benjamin Pogrund
    Vol. 19 No. 1 2013
    27. Culture, Literature and the Arts
  27. Houses ( )

    By Waleed Khazindar Vol. 19 No. 1 2013
  28. Poetry In The Middle East ( )

    By Karen Alkalay-Gut Vol. 19 No. 1 2013
  29. Middle Eastern Haiku ( )

    By Dan Brook Vol. 19 No. 1 2013
    30. Documents
  30. United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3263 (XXIX) ( )

    Vol. 19 No. 1 2013


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