UN nuclear vote rejects resolution against Israel
A 151-nation meeting of the UN atomic agency today narrowly voted against an Arab motion to censure Israel for not opening up its nuclear activities to inspection.
Of the nations present, 51 voted against the resolution, 51 voted for and 23 abstained. The rest were absent.
The vote was closely watched after last year’s meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency passed the same resolution by a small margin.
The US and other allies of Israel had argued the resolution would threaten ongoing Middle East peace talks and the chances of a planned 2012 conference on a Middle East nuclear-free zone.
Islamic nations and their supporters said the resolution was meant to move chances of creating such a zone forward.
