Israeli nuclear capabilities and threat – Letter from Kuwait

International Atomic Energy Agency 

General Conference 

(Unofficial electronic version) 

Forty-second regular session

ISRAELI NUCLEAR CAPABILITIES AND THREAT

Pursuant to a request of the Resident Representative of Kuwait, the text of a letter of 7 May 1998 addressed by him to the Director General on behalf of the Arab States members of the Agency is attached hereto.

TEXT OF A LETTER OF 7 MAY 1998 FROM THE RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE OF KUWAIT TO THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY

"On behalf of the Arab States members of the Agency which have signed on the attached sheet I have the honour to request you to do the needful to include an item entitled 'Israeli nuclear capabilities and threat' in the agenda of the Agency's General Conference at its forty-second session (September 1998)."

"I enclose herewith an explanatory memorandum relating to the request for inclusion of this item."

REQUEST FOR INCLUSION OF AN ITEM ON ISRAELI NUCLEAR

CAPABILITIES AND THREAT IN THE AGENDA OF THE FORTY-SECOND

SESSION OF THE IAEA GENERAL CONFERENCE

 

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM SUBMITTED BY THE STATES MEMBERS OF THE

LEAGUE OF ARAB STATES ON ISRAELI NUCLEAR CAPABILITIES AND THREAT

1. An item on Israeli nuclear capabilities and threat was on the agenda of the General Conference of the IAEA for a number of years, during which the Conference repeatedly adopted resolutions calling upon Israel to place its nuclear installations under Agency safeguards.

In 1992, the Conference approved the President's suggestion that "…in view of the peace process already under way in the Middle East, the aim of which was to conclude a comprehensive and just peace in the region, and which included in particular discussions on the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East, it would be desirable not to consider the present agenda item at the thirty-sixth regular session."

However, the policies of the present Israeli Government have led to the stalling of the peace negotiations based, as the point of reference, on the Madrid Conference and the land for peace principle, and all initiatives to free the region of the Middle East of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction have failed.

2. In May 1995, the Review and Extension Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons adopted a resolution on the Middle East expressing the concern of the States Party to the Treaty at the dangerous situation in the Middle East resulting from the presence in the region of undelcared nuclear activities and nuclear installations not subject to IAEA safeguards, which put regional and international peace and security at risk.

3. In 1997, the Member States of the Agency reinforced its control of nuclear activities by adopting the Additional Protocol to enhance the effectiveness and improve the efficiency of the safeguards system, in respect of States which have concluded comprehensive safeguards agreements, in view of the increased importance of providing assurance that no undeclared nuclear acivities or installations exist.

4. The advisory opinion handed down by the International Court of Justice on 8 July 1996 on the legality of the threat or use of nuclear weapons stressed that there existed an obligation on the part of all States to pursue in good faith and bring to a conclusion negotiations leading to the nuclear disarmament in all of its aspects under strict and effective international control.

5. Arab States have always shown their readiness to take practical steps towards creating in the Middle East a zone free from nuclear, chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction, and to refrain from taking any measures which could hamper the attainment of this goal.

6. Whereas all Arab States have acceded to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Israel continues to defy the international community by refusing to become a party to the Treaty or to place all its installations under the Agency's comprehensive safeguards, thus upsetting the balance needed to achieve peace in the region and exposing the region to nuclear danger.

Israel's possession of nuclear weapons is likely to lead to a destructive nuclear arms race in the region, especially when Israel's nuclear installations remain outside any international control.

7. All Member States of the Agency are invited to co-operate in order to remedy this situation resulting from the fact that Israel alone possesses nuclear capabilities which are undeclared and not subject to international control and which constitute a permanent threat to peace and security in the region.

The General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency must take appropriate measures to ensure that Israel places all its nuclear installations under Agency safeguards and accedes to the NPT.

8. A list of some international resolutions on this subject is attached hereto.

SOME INTERNATIONAL RESOLUTIONS ON THIS SUBJECT

A number of resolutions adopted by the United Nations General Assembly and the IAEA General Conference call upon Israel to place all its nuclear installations under Agency safeguards and to accede to the NPT. These include:

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