10 Dec 2020; MEMO: In a vote held on Monday, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) called on Israel to "renounce possession of nuclear weapons," news agencies reported.
A resolution entitled "The Risk of Nuclear Proliferation in the Middle East" had 153 supporting votes against only 6 who did not support it, with 25 abstentions. The US, Israel's ally, was among the six countries that did not vote for the resolution.
The resolution was part of a large package of resolutions approved by the UNGA related to nuclear disarmament, globally and in the Middle East.
Based on the resolution, the UNGA asked Israel: "Not to develop, produce, test or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons."
In addition, the UNGA called the Israeli occupation state: "To renounce possession of nuclear weapons and to place all its unsafeguarded nuclear facilities under full-scope agency safeguards as an important confidence-building measure among all states of the region and as a step towards enhancing peace and security."
Of the 193 members of the UN, 191 countries are parties of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Israel has never signed the treaty.
This resolution passed 152-6, with 24 abstentions last year.
On Monday, the UNGA also voted 174-2, with one abstention, on a resolution that called for a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East. Only Israel and the US opposed it, with Cameroon abstaining.
