Israel: Nuke test ban ratification ‘depends on regional context’

In a statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, Israel appears to clarify claims made earlier Monday by a UN official who said Jerusalem was planning to ratify the nuclear test ban treaty.

Netanyahu “said in the meeting that the State of Israel supports the treaty and its goals, and therefore signed it,” the PMO statement reads.

“The prime minister added that the question of ratification depends on the regional context and the appropriate timing,” it adds.

Lassina Zerbo, who heads the UN organization created to implement the treaty, told AP that Netanyahu considers ratifying the treaty a matter of “when, rather than if.”

Israeli ratification would move the treaty closer to taking effect, leaving only seven holdouts among the 44 countries that must ratify it for the pact to go live.

While the Israeli prime minister is not committing himself to a specific time-frame for ratification, Zerbo said that is “normal in diplomacy.”

— AP contributed to this report.