The United Nations General Assembly passed an Arab-introduced resolution on Tuesday asking Israel to give up its nuclear weapons and allow international authorities to oversee its nuclear facilities.
The resolution, introduced in Egypt, passed with a 116-5 vote, and noted that Israel is the only country in the Middle East that is not signed to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, reported The Associated Press.
Israel should "accede to that treat without further delay, not to develop, produce, test, or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons, to renounce possession of nuclear weapons," the resolution said.
Along with Israel, the United States, Canada, Palau and Micronesia voted against the measure, while 18 countries did not vote at all.
Many have long suspected Israel of possessing nuclear weapons, but the country will not confirm it.
The U.S. representative who voted against the resolution at the committee-level last month, Robert Wood, said the measure "fails to meet the fundamental tests of fairness and balance. It confines itself to expressions of concern about the activities of a single country."
Israel has long held that before considering a nuclear disarmament treaty, a legitimate Palestinian-Israeli peace plan must be put in place. The country also claims that the possibility of Iran creating nuclear weapons is the real threat, according to AP.
In September, a similar proposal failed to gain approval at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, where it was rejected by 58 to 45 votes, reported RT.
The U.N. also passed a similar resolution in 2012 that called on Israel to join the non-proliferation treaty "without further delay."
Israel responded to that resolution by saying that the U.N. "lost all its credibility regarding Israel with these types of routine votes that are ensured passage by an automatic majority and which single out Israel."
