Growing instability across the Middle East has prompted foreign policy think tanks to brainstorm ways to stabilize that region. One idea circulating in Washington last week called for admitting Israel into NATO...

Ralf Fuecks is the president of the Berlin-based Heinrich Boll Foundation, an independent organization affiliated with the German Green Party. He suggested at a conference Wednesday that Israel be offered membership in NATO on the condition that it resume negotiations for a two-state solution with the Palestinians and agree to a nuclear-free zone linked to security guarantees for Israel.

Mr. Fuecks said the admission of Israel to NATO also would bolster the U.S.-European security alliance as it confronts the growing nuclear threat from Iran.

"NATO has to extend its outreach into the Middle East," Mr. Fuecks told an audience at the New America Foundation in Washington, arguing that this was especially important now that the United States is looking for ways to reduce its commitment in Iraq.

Daniel Levy, a senior fellow and director of the foundation's Middle East initiative, cautioned that a NATO with Israel as its only member from outside Europe and North America would make Israel look like a "colonial outpost."

"Arms control and regional security should be created within a regional security architecture," Mr. Levy said. "This would more effectively induce better behavior by Iran."

Steven Clemons, director of the American strategy program at the foundation, said after the forum that admitting Israel to NATO would "create massive tension" with its neighbors. He suggested that Israel instead promote ties with modern Sunni regimes in Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Morocco...

Other policy specialists at the New America Foundation forum disagreed with the NATO idea. Harvey Feldman, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation, said Europeans had done little to stop weapons smuggling to Hezbollah and were doing little to help Israel...

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