Egypt yesterday proposed the creation of a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East and blasted Israel for standing in the way, at a meeting in Vienna of the UN atomic watchdog. Israel, believed to be the only state in the region with nuclear weapons, said it was not against such a zone but that there must first be an overall peace agreement in the Middle East. Israeli atomic energy commission chief Gideon Frank also said another Arab initiative to name Israel as a nuclear threat was unacceptable as it was âpolitically and cynically motivated.â Egyptian Ambassador Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy told the 139-nation general conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency that âEgypt will be tabling a draft resolution on ... a nuclear-free zoneâ and hopes for âa serious international commitment in this area.â Ramzy appealed to IAEA chief Mohamed El-Baradei âto continue his efforts to persuade the country which is standing in the way of the creation of such an area to display good will,â in a clear reference to Israel.