Israeli nuclear armament – Letter from Syria

ISRAELI NUCLEAR ARMAMENT

Letter dated 29 July 1987 from the Chargé d'affaires a.i.

of the Permanent Mission of the Syrian Arab Republic to the

United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

In my capacity as Chairman of the Group of Arab States for the current month (July 1987)  and  with  reference to General Assembly resolution 41/93, adopted on 4 December 1986, I have the honor to enclose information on the subject of Israeli nuclear armament.

I request you to have this letter circulated as an official document of the General Assembly, under item 69 of the provisional agenda.

(Signed) Abdul Moulmen AL-ATASSI

Minister Plenipotentiary

Charge d'affaires a.i. of the

Permanent Mission of the Syrian

Arab Republic to the United Nations

_______________

*  A/42/150.

ANNEX

Information on the subject of Israeli nuclear armament

I. Since 1981, the year of the issuance of the report of the Secretary-General on Israeli nuclear armament submitted to the General Assembly at its thirty-sixth session (A/36/431), and also since 1985, the year of the issuance of the report of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (A/40/520), Israel has

continued its nuclear activities in a way that has increased the concern of the international community about those activities, which have increased the danger resulting from the proliferation of nuclear weapons, which has been prejudicial to the international security climate as a whole.

II. It is a clear fact that Israel still refuses to adhere to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and still refuses to place its nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards. Similarly, Israel has refused to allow IAEA to inspect the Norwegian heavy water supplied to Israel in 1959, the provision of which was contingent upon international inspection. All this confirms Israel's intention not to be bound by any international undertaking to submit to the non-proliferation system. This position on the part of Israel is also incompatible with the conditions that are essential for the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East.

III. Israel's statements that it will not be the first to introduce nuclear weapons into the region is merely a deceptive cover-up, particularly after what has been revealed by well-documented reports concerning its possession of more than 100 atomic bombs. Furthermore, reports recently appeared confirming the guiding principles of Israel's nuclear policies; it was revealed that Israel had conducted a test of the Jericho II missile, with a range of 500 miles, which places some Arab capitals within its reach. The reports say that this missile is equipped to carry a nuclear warhead.

IV. While Israel has maintained a policy of silence and mystery in its nuclear policy to date, there is a whole sea of information obtainable from books, articles and official and unofficial statements issued by Israeli officials themselves and by officials of other Governments in recent years that not only confirms Israel's nuclear capability but indicates its possession of numerous atomic weapons.

V. Israel receives from certain States friendly to it supplies which enable it to continue to develop its policy of nuclear aggression unimpeded. For example, research on the development of the missile known as Jericho II has continued with the full knowledge of some of those States, even though any expert would know that this missile is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. It was recently reported by news media that the Jericho II missile is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead in the opinion of experts and information-monitoring organs in some of the States friendly to Israel and that it was specially designed to carry such a warhead.

VI. The United Nations General Assembly has adopted at many of its sessions resolutions condemning Israeli nuclear armament and Israel's collaboration with South Africa in the nuclear field, the most recent being resolution 41/93.

The General Conference of IAEA has also dealt with this subject during its discussion of the item on armed Israeli aggression against the Iraqi nuclear installations devoted to peaceful purposes and has adopted the appropriate resolutions condemning Israel's policy and its persistent effort to acquire nuclear weapons.

All that proves one thing, namely, Israel's failure to comply with United Nations resolutions and its disdain for and contravention of the principles of international law and the international will.

VII. Israel's nuclear activities cannot be ignored because of official silence, denial or equivocation when abundant information is available concerning its capability of manufacturing nuclear weapons and its possession of a large number of such weapons.

Enclosed is a list of some of those sources: articles, books and statements on the subject. We believe that unless Israel is prevented from pursuing the nuclear policy which it has been following for a long time and unless it stops developing and producing nuclear weapons, its assertion that it will not be the first to introduce nuclear weapons into the region is false, deceptive and an attempt to cover up the facts.

In the light of the foregoing, it is clear that Israel possesses nuclear weapons and that it is still seeking to develop such weapons quantitatively and qualitatively. In the light of this established fact, the Middle East region cannot live in peace and security as long as the Israeli nuclear weapon looms over it.

This matter requires the United Nations, and specifically the major Powers, to take the necessary steps to remove the Israeli nuclear danger and guarantee the peace and security of the States of that region.

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