Israel Says It’s Okay With Jordanian Nuclear Program

Disputes Claim It Disrupted Jordan's Plans

Jordan’s King Abdullah II claimed last week that the Israeli government has been putting pressure on nations not to cooperate with them on their creation of a civilian nuclear energy program, saying they effectively “disrupted” the plans.

That’s news to Israel, at least according to the head of the Israel Atomic Energy Commission Shaul Chorev, who says Israel has zero problem with Jordan having nuclear energy, denying that they had done anything to disrupt the program.

Israel has expressed major “concerns” about other nations in the region trying to develop nuclear electricity generation plants, perceiving everything as a stepping stone to a nuclear weapon.

The comments might not reflect the position of more hawkish Israeli officials, but it might also hint at a shift in Israel’s stance toward energy generation, getting more lenient toward the idea of its neighbors and allies having electricity generation capabilities.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.