Israel ministry report shows concern over Trump's N.Korea summit

An internal report has revealed Israeli foreign ministry officials' reservations over the summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un, despite the government's public endorsement.

The paper, written by the ministry's research department and sent to Israeli diplomats worldwide, said Tuesday's summit raised "questions" on North Korea's commitment to nuclear disarmament, according to private Channel 10 television.

The channel on Thursday night quoted the report as saying there were "substantive gaps between the American statements prior to the summit on the need for 'full, irreversible and verifiable' denuclearisation and the formulation of the joint statement, which only referred to North Korea's 'complete denuclearisation'."

A spokesman for the Israeli foreign ministry confirmed the veracity of the document to AFP on Friday, but refused to add further details.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had on Tuesday commended Trump on the "historic summit," calling it "an important step in the effort to rid the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons."

But the Israeli foreign ministry document also pointed to doubts in Japan, South Korea, the media and US Congress as to North Korea's sincerity.

"Despite Trump's declarations about quick changes expected in North Korea's policy, the way to substantive change -- if that ever comes -- is still long and slow," Channel 10 quoted the report as saying.

Trump has sounded a triumphant tone since the summit in Singapore, where he and Kim signed a joint statement in which the North Korean leader committed "to work toward complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula."

Critics have pointed to the vague wording of the non-binding document, which Trump described as a "deal", and to concerns among allies about the decision to stop US-South Korean "war games."

Related Links
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com
Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com
All about missiles at SpaceWar.com
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com

Tweet

Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.

SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly

paypal only

SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once

credit card or paypal

Major US military exercises with S.Korea 'suspended indefinitely'
Washington (AFP) June 14, 2018
The US military has indefinitely postponed major joint exercises with South Korea, an official told AFP on Thursday, acting on President Donald Trump's pledge to halt the "provocative" military drills following his summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un. The move, a significant break in how the US and South Korean militaries have worked together for decades, came even as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned that peace efforts still face risks, and insisted sanctions must be maintained until Pyongyan ... read more