Ruh Roh

This will not end well.

Overriding Western objections, a 150-nation nuclear conference on Friday passed a resolution directly criticizing Israel and its atomic program for the first time in 18 years. Iran hailed the vote as a "glorious moment."

The result was a setback not only for Israel but also for the U.S. and other backers of the Jewish state, which had lobbied for 18 years of past practice — debate on the issue without a vote. It also reflected building tensions between Israel and its backers and Islamic nations, backed by developing countries.

Of delegations present at the International Atomic Energy Agency meeting Friday, 49 voted for the resolution. Forty-five were against and 16 abstained from endorsing or rejecting he document, which "expresses concern about the Israeli nuclear capabilities," and links it to "concern about the threat posed by the proliferation of nuclear weapons for the security and stability of the Middle East."

The result once again exposed the deep North-South divide gripping IAEA meetings.

The United States and its allies consider Iran the greatest proliferation threat, fearing that Tehran is trying to achieve the capacity to make nuclear weapons despite its assertion that it is only building a civilian program to generate power. They also say Syria — which, like Iran is under IAEA investigation — ran a clandestine nuclear program, at least until Israeli warplanes destroyed what they describe as a nearly finished plutonium-producing reactor two years ago.

But Islamic nations insist that Israel is the true danger in the Middle East, saying they fear its nuclear weapons capacity. Israel has never said it has such arms, but is universally believed to posses them.

Here is the deal, it is incredibly unfair for Israel to have nuclear weapons, for everybody to know they have nuclear weapons, but for the international community to continue to look the other way while jacking up arab nations who have nuclear aspirations. Its not that its wrong for the IAEA to be on Iran's and Syria's ass. What is wrong is for them not to be similarly on Israel's ass. The problem of course is that this vote will evoke screams of anti semitism and ultimately it paints the US into the corner of having to defend Israel's right to not have to ever declare their nuclear arsenal, something no other country gets away with, further damaging our image in the Arab/Muslim world. Now the truth is I wouldn't be surprised if I got a comment or two saying I was being antisemetic also for simply saying we should treat everyone the same. Such is the atmosphere now of any major issue dealing with the middle east. I just hope that it doesn't do all that much to hurt efforts at peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

But I wouldn't be too hopeful.