Responding to a letter from 36 Members of Congress, President Clinton has told the Representatives that he shares their concerns about the imprisonment of Mordechai Vanunu and the secrecy surrounding Israel's nuclear weapons program.
While making no specific
commitment, the President departed significantly from the State Department
line that the Vanunu case is an internal Israeli matter and that there
is no evidence of prison mistreatment of Vanunu.
The text of the April 22 1999 letter:
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
Thank you for your letter regarding
the imprisonment of Mordechai Vanunu
in Israel.
Your letter raises important questions and, as you know, we have followed the matter of Mr. Vanunu´s imprisonment closely. In particular, we are concerned about reports pertaining to the conditions under which he is held.
I also share your concerns about the Israeli nuclear program. We have repeatedly urged Israel and other non-parties to the Non-Proliferation Treaty to adhere to the Treaty and accept comprehensive International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards.
Thank you again for sharing your thoughts on this matter. We will continue to raise these issues in our discussions with the government of Israel.
