UN General Assembly Says Israel Must Get Rid Of Its Nuclear Arsenal

The United Nations General Assembly First Committee, which deals with disarmament and international security issues, called on Israel to get rid of all its atomic weapons and place its nuclear sites under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency in a 152 to 5 vote.

Five countries - Canada, Israel, Micronesia, Palau and the United States - opposed the resolution on Friday over the "risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East." Twenty-four other countries abstained, including members of the European Union.

The resolution, submitted by Egypt, was sponsored by the Palestinian Authority and 19 countries, including Bahrain, Jordan, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates.

Egypt’s text focuses on Israel as one of the nine countries believed to possess nuclear weapons, which the Jewish state has never officially acknowledged.