Strategic Assessment
Ever since Egypt first came to perceive Israel as having launched a nuclear program, and later (some time in the early 1970s) as having most likely crossed the nuclear threshold, Egypt has been struggling to come to terms with the regional implications of this development. Concerned with the new dimension to Israel’s potential, Egypt has adopted a range of strategies in its attempt to restore a sense of balance with its northeastern neighbor. It has at various times attempted to actively reverse, diminish the impact, or rhetorically dismiss the ramifications of Israel’s nuclear development. However, especially since the 1979 peace treaty, it has been careful not to press the issue to the point where it might seriously jeopardize its relations with Israel or with the United States. As far as entering the nuclear arms race itself, the consensus in Israel today is that Egypt continues to uphold its strategic decision of 1981 (when it ratified the NPT) not to pursue this option.