Israel to boycott nuclear-free Middle East plan

Israel has condemned as "deeply flawed" and "hypocritical" the weekend resolution adopted by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference, vowing to boycott efforts to work towards a nuclear-free Middle East. The NPT's 189 signatory nations, meeting in New York, proposed new steps towards disarmament and making the Middle East free of atomic weapons, including a UN-backed international conference in 2012. The resolution singled out Israel, stressing "the importance of Israel's accession to the treaty and the placement of all its nuclear facilities under comprehensive IAEA safeguards". The prime minister's office in Jerusalem condemned the review conference conclusions. Source: Irish Times