Israel delighted as UN watchdog vote

The general assembly of the International Atomic Energy Agency voted on Thursday against a resolution calling for international monitoring of Israel’s nuclear facilities.

Sixty-one countries voted against the resolution, including the entire European Union, while 43 countries voted for it and 33 states abstained.

The resolution, which has been regularly presented by Arab countries, was spearheaded by Egypt at the annual plenum of the UN’s nuclear watchdog and backed by the UN’s so-called Arab Bloc.

Tel Aviv hailed the vote as a diplomatic victory, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying in a statement that his efforts to lobby fellow leaders had paid off.

“I personally spoke with over 30 presidents, prime ministers and foreign ministers,” Netanyahu said in a statement Thursday night.

” The prime minister singled out the United States, Australia, Canada and the European Union for thanks.