IAEA turns down Call for Control of Israel’s Nuclear Program
The General Conference of the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) rejected a resolution tabled by 18 Arab nations, to submit Israel’s nuclear program to inspections and for Israel to accede to the non-proliferation treaty. A virtually identical resolution was adopted in 2009, but the IAEA failed to address Israel’s non-compliance. The resolution was rejected by 58 nay votes, 45 votes in favor of the resolution and 27 abstentions. Independent analysts estimate that Israel has a stockpile of 200 – 400 nuclear warheads, ranging from megaton sized warheads to suitcase and pineapple sized devices. Israel does not officially recognized that it has a nuclear weapons program at all. The weapons program does not only raise regional and international security concerns and concerns about proliferation, but concerns about serious human rights abuses against Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention.