The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) warns that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) should not protect nuclear-armed Israel at the organization’s own cost.
The movement, which dissociates itself from major superpowers, used the final day of an IAEA meeting in Vienna to highlight Israel’s possession of nuclear weapons, a Press TV’s correspondent reported on Thursday.
The 118-member movement expressed its "grave concern over the selective approach of the IAEA towards the issue of the Israeli nuclear capabilities."
This attitude "puts at stake the viability of the IAEA as an independent technical body," NAM said.
Tel Aviv is believed to have manufactured scores of nuclear warheads since 1958, a year after IAEA’s inception.
The organization, however, has so far refused to ratify a resolution against Israel’s nuclear activities and has simply sufficed to call on Tel Aviv to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and to "place all its nuclear facilities under comprehensive IAEA safeguards."
Former US President Jimmy Carter has attested to the existence of the Israeli nuclear arsenal, which he said includes between 200 to 300 warheads. Decades of recurrent reporting and aerial footage have also confirmed the possession.
NAM also underlined that "stability and security cannot be achieved in a region, where a massive imbalance of military capabilities is maintained systematically."
The disproportionate distribution of armed power "allows one party in the region…to threaten" others, it added, referring to Israel.
Nam referred to the situation as "unacceptable" and urged that it be addressed "very seriously" so an end can be put to it.
Israel maintains a policy of "nuclear ambiguity," in line with which it neither confirms nor denies having nuclear armaments.
Israel, backed by the US, has also so far evaded punitive measures.
Efforts by Arab states and other countries caused an NPT review conference in May to issue a statement, highlighting the importance of Tel Aviv’s acceding to the treaty and its allowing the IAEA to fully inspect its nuclear sites.
In the closing chapters of the IAEA meeting, the European Union staged support for Washington’s stance and asked the Arab countries not to table any further such resolutions.
(Press TV)
