Israel is intensively working to prevent Iran from gaining weapons and weapons technology from both North Korea and Switzerland, government officials said this week.
Two Israeli diplomats who visited the North Korean capital of Pyongyang held discussions with North Korean officials that included attempts to dissuade the country from selling Iran Scud-C-type missiles.
The missiles, whose range would encompass Israel if launched from Iran, are also capable of carrying a non-conventional payload.
Israeli officials said the North Koreans proposed that Israel make large investments in their country as a sort of payment in exchange for Pyongyang’s consent to cancel the missile deal with Iran.
According to the newspaper Davar, the Israelis, Eitan Bentsur, deputy director-general of the Foreign Ministry, and Avi Siton, a senior diplomat, told the North Koreans that the two of them were not authorized by Jerusalem to negotiate such matters.
The subject of large-scale cash “compensation” to North Korea has surfaced in various reports in the international media.
Bentsur went on to Washington, where he is understood to have briefed U.S. officials on the meetings, while Siton proceeded to Seoul and Tokyo, to brief those governments on the talks.
Meanwhile, reports also surfaced this week that Switzerland has been helping Iran develop a nuclear capability.
Foreign Minister Shimon Peres told the Knesset on Wednesday that Israel had questioned Switzerland on the matter and that the Swiss denied most of the details of a report that appeared in the Ma’ariv newspaper.
However, the Swiss added that various industrial components were being exported to Iran that could assist that country in developing its nuclear capability.
Therefore, Peres said, Western countries should supervise not only the production of such components but also their delivery to countries such as Iran and Iraq.
Peres said Israeli intelligence was fully aware of the scope of Iran’s armament and the spread of Iranian-sponsored terrorism. But he placed the burden on the United States to lead an international effort against terrorism.
The Clinton administration has stated its determination to oppose aggression on the part of both Iraq and Iran, Peres said.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
