Pacific

Israel plays down Marshalls nuclear court challenge

12:41 pm on 29 April 2014

Israel has played down a lawsuit filed by the Marshall Islands against the nine nuclear powers.

The legal action is being taken in the International Court of Justice and in the case of the US in an American court because Washington doesn't recognise the ICJ.

The Marshall Islands says the nine atomic powers are failing their obligations to disarm as stipulated in the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

It also says Israel, India, Pakistan and North Korea, which have not signed the treaty, are bound by its nuclear disarmament provisions under customary law.

But an Israeli foreign ministry spokesperson is quoted as saying the case against countries outside the Non-Proliferation Treaty doesn't have any legal legs.