UN Demands Israel Open For Inspections

The United Nations General Assembly has approved a resolution calling on Israel to open its nuclear program for international inspection.

The resolution, approved by a vote of 174-6 with six abstentions on December 3, also calls on Israel to join the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty "without further delay."

The six countries that voted against the resolution were Israel, the United States, Canada, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau.

Resolutions adopted by the 193-member General Assembly are not legally binding but are seen as reflecting the opinions of the world’s governments.

Israel is widely believed to have a nuclear arsenal of several hundred warheads, but it has never confirmed that.

Israel has refused to join the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, along with three states that possess nuclear arms: India, Pakistan, and North Korea.

Based on reporting by AP and RFE/RL