Israel wants to build nuclear power station in cooperation with Arab neighbors
09 March 2010
Israel has presented a plan to jointly build a nuclear power plant in the Negev in cooperation with neighboring Arab states. The project was aimed at meeting the region's energy needs and promoting peace, Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau told a conference in Paris. The reactor would be the first nuclear power station in Israel for civilian use and be built in the northern part of the Negev desert, Landau said. "Nuclear energy can be an area of regional cooperation with the objective of promoting peace," he told a forum on the civilian use of nuclear energy held in the French capital.
Israeli officials said the new plant would be a joint project between Israel and Jordan and that France would supervise and provide technology. "Naturally, any nuclear power plant to be built in Israel will be subject to all the international safeguards," Landau was quoted by AFP as saying. He added that any nuclear plants built in Israel would be subject to strict safety and security controls
Israel is not a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and has said it would not sign up for a Middle East nuclear-free zone that is being promoted by the United States and others. As an arid country with no possibilities for hydroelectric power generation and no natural oil reserves "Israel is an energy island” and “has to import all its energy resources in order to provide its energy needs," Landau told the conference.
President Nicolas Sarkozy opened the 65-nation gathering in Paris on Monday by offering French know-how to build nuclear reactors to be a safe and efficient source of clean energy all over the world. Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faysal Mekdad told the delegates his country was looking at "alternative energy sources, including nuclear energy" to meet its growing energy needs. "The peaceful application of nuclear energy should not be monopolized by the few that own this technology, but should be available to all," Mekdad said, but did not elaborate on specific plans.
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This joint nuclear power plant is probably the best idea and ambassador for peace you could imagine. If the capacity is big enough for other neighboring countries to also benefit, it would even be better for Israel. But, it must start with only Israel and Jordan and no others until it is fully operational because any more will make agreements impossible. The others would have to "buy in" as customers only with NO ownership rights or there will be chaos. I'm sure the Arabs would want some sort of "no cut off" guarantee which is difficult in itself for Israel because power is needed to manufacture even the simplest weapons that could be used against Israel. I seriously doubt however if an agreement between even the two of them, Israel and Jordan, could ever be reached on all the intricate facets of such a major project. It would be a miracle.
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karin kloosterman, about 1 year ago
Nuclear should only be a last resort. It is a very polluting technology, leaving environmental garbage for eons. This region is a major earthquake zone and exploring nuclear energy, instead of solar and other sustainable alt. energy is a cop out.