Tuesday 29 April 2014

Calls for Israel to abide by International Law and join the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT).


The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), with 120 member states, has called on Israel to renounce possession of nuclear weapons and join the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT).
The appeal was made on Monday by Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, on behalf of NAM members of the NPT, at the opening of the third and final preparatory conference for next year’s review of the 1970 accord aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear arms.

Natalegawa called for an international conference to promote a nuclear weapons-free zone in the Middle East, urging UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the United States, Britain and Russia to hold the long-delayed international event.
Natalegawa reiterated the organization’s demand that Israel “renounce possession of nuclear weapons” and join the NPT immediately.
The Israeli regime is widely believed to be the sole possessor of a nuclear arsenal in the Middle East with up to 400 undeclared nuclear warheads.
The 189 member nations that are party to the NPT, at the last NPT review conference in May 2010 urged convening a conference in 2012 “on the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction.”
The conference was set to be held in Finland in late 2012, but Washington said it would be postponed, in an apparent attempt to save Israel embarrassment for refusing to attend. No new date has been set for the conference.
The Indonesian foreign minister called on the UN, US, Britain and Russia to concentrate on holding the conference “at the earliest date in 2014,” and to seek “credible assurances” beforehand “regarding the unconditional participation of Israel.”
Tel Aviv has rejected global calls to join the NPT and does not allow international inspectors to observe its controversial nuclear program.


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