WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama's desire to have a nuclear summit next year puts him between a rock and a hard place concerning Israel, observers say.
If he invites Israel to discuss securing nuclear stockpiles, Obama runs the risk of exposing Israeli leaders to questions about its widely reported nuclear program -- which so far they have been reluctant to discuss, Politico reported Tuesday. Not including Israel on the guest list of 25 to 30 heads of state could open up discussions about Israel's reported nuclear effort as a destabilizing factor in the Middle East.
"I see this as one giant root canal, which is going to be really painful for everybody who shows up, and for everybody who doesn't," Aaron David Miller, a former State Department official who worked on Arab-Israeli peace negotiations for four presidents, told the Washington publication.
The summit, scheduled for March 9-10, is aimed at combating nuclear terrorism, which Obama has called the "most immediate and extreme threat to global security."
Most analysts Politico interviewed said they don't expect Israel to be invited, adding that they expect it to be part of the discussions.
"It's very complicated," said Elliot Abrams, a National Security Council aide for former President George W. Bush. "Israel is not a declared nuclear power, yet the Arab states will all have something to say about Israel's alleged nuclear program. ... Israel doesn't want any international discussion of its alleged nuclear program. It's extremely sensitive to the notion of a Middle East nuclear-free zone."
