Netanyahu cancels plan to attend Nuclear security meeting in Washington over fears that Muslim states were going to ask questions about Israel's nukes

Israel's prime minister abruptly called off a trip to Washington just days before he was due to attend a conference there on the spread of nuclear weapons, officials in his office said today, fearing Israel would be singled out over its own nuclear program.

Benjamin Netanyahu had said he would attend the conference to underline the dangers of terrorists acquiring nuclear weapons, but suddenly called off the trip less than two days after he announced he would take part.

Officials in his office said Netanyahu reversed himself because some nations planned to use the conference to target Israel over its barely concealed nuclear weapons program. They spoke on condition of anonymity because no official announcement has been made.