Liberman hails IAEA rejection of bid urging Israel to join NPT
FM says defeat of Arab-backed resolution at UN agency a 'victory for Israeli diplomacy'; nations vote 58-45 against initiative
Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman hailed Thursday the announcement that the IAEA rejected a resolution circulated by Arab countries criticizing Israel over its alleged nuclear arsenal, and urging it to join the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Liberman said the defeat of the bid was a “victory for Israeli diplomacy.”
In a Facebook message posted Thursday, the foreign minister warned the Arab countries who submitted the resolution to think about what the regional situations would be if Syria has suceeded in completing the construction of a nuclear reactor — allegedly bombed by Israel in 2007 — which could now possibly be in the hands of the Islamic State or the Nusra Front.
Earlier Thursday, nations meeting at the International Atomic Energy Agency’s general conference voted 58-45 against the resolution, while 27 abstained.
Backed by 18 Arab states, including Syria, the resolution expressed concern “about the Israeli nuclear capabilities,” urging Israel to join the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and put its nuclear facilities under international oversight. Israel has never acknowledged that it possesses nuclear weapons.
Separately, the conference voted 117-0, with 13 abstentions, in favor of a resolution submitted by Egypt that called on “all states in the region” to join the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
On Wednesday, Arab countries circulated the resolution that singled out Israel.
The draft echoed previous such resolutions at annual meetings of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency.