Israel's Dimona nuclear plant. Photo: Arutz Sheva.

JNS.org – Member states of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the U.N. nuclear watchdog, on Friday rejected a resolution by Arab states that only criticized Israel’s nuclear capability as part of a call to remove weapons of mass destruction from the entire Middle East.

Fifty-one IAEA member nations voted against the resolution calling on Israel to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and 43 countries voted in favor.

Israel’s Atomic Energy Commission said in a statement that the IAEA vote sent the message that the agency “refuses to adopt resolutions whose goals are to isolate one nation out of political motivations.”

“Israel hopes that the Arab nations standing behind the denied proposal will realize the futility of making unilateral moves in international organizations without direct talks [with Israel] or working towards mutual interests in the area, especially in light of the recent regional developments,” the Israeli statement said.

Meanwhile, the IAEA’s latest report on the Iranian nuclear program states that the Islamic Republic is “continuing to install advanced and first-generation centrifuges.”