NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR TEST DEMARCHE

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 003972 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KN PARM KNNP IS IR SUBJECT: NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR TEST DEMARCHE REF: STATE 169418 ¶1. Post provided reftel points to the MFA Deputy Director General for the United Nations and International Organizations, Aharon Leshno Yaar, on October 10. Although most MFA staff are on holiday this week, Yaar agreed to share our points with MFA Deputy Director General MIRIAM Ziv, who heads the Strategic Affairs Division that is most concerned with the DPRK issue. ¶2. Press reports indicate that Prime Minister Olmert will hold a special meeting on dealing with the threat posed by the Iranian nuclear program -- a meeting that has been moved up to this week in light of the North Korean nuclear test and its implications for the Middle East. On October 10, Minister of Public Security Avi Dichter told Israel Radio: "Israel is very troubled by what Iran is doing and you could say that North Korea comes after that. Israel should not be the country that handles this. But the combination of Iranian wishes, intentions and capabilities coupled with North Korean means is a very bad combination, very bad for Israel, and very bad for the Middle East." ¶3. On October 9, the Israeli MFA Spokesman communicated the following statement: (Begin text) Israel joins others in the international community in condemning North Korea's nuclear test. The test is an irresponsible and provocative act that could pose a serious threat to the regional stability of northeast Asia and to global and international security. Israel reiterates its call to continue the moratorium on nuclear tests and expects North Korea to stop any action that would worsen the situation. Israel also calls on the international community to firmly implement UNSC resolutions adopted to deal with WMD and the proliferation threat. ********************************************* ******************** Visit Embassy Tel Aviv's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/telaviv You can also access this site through the State Department's Classified SIPRNET website. ********************************************* ******************** CRETZ