Arab countries have for years used the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) general conference held in Vienna in September as a forum to attack Israel for allegedly possessing nuclear weapons.

A Western diplomat close to the IAEA said Middle Eastern states have in the past used the conference as a chance to vent their frustration at seeing Iran attacked for alleged nuclear capabilities while the IAEA does not act against Israel.

Israel is believed to have developed nuclear weapons and has not signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

According to Friday's agenda, the IAEA is to consider an Arab proposal listed as "Israeli nuclear capabilities and threat."

A resolution could be introduced, but the Western diplomat said this would then be withdrawn in a "procedural game where Arabic countries raise yet again the question" of why Israel has not signed the NPT, the safeguards agreement the IAEA verifies.

He said such resolutions have in the past been "obscure and hard to decipher but make a point by having the word Israel in them and saying the matter should be on the agenda for the following year."

The IAEA is also to consider a resolution, presented by Egypt, that calls for a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East.

The draft resolution "affirms the urgent need for all states in the Middle East to forthwith accept the application of full-scope agency safeguards to all their nuclear activities," a clear reference to Israel.

The Israeli delegation would like to see the debate wrapped up in the early afternoon since the Jewish Yom Kippur festival, the holiest day in the Jewish year, begins at sundown.

Debates on Israel at the IAEA general conference have often in the past extended into late Friday evening.

The head of the Arab delegation said the 14 Arab states would try to accommodate Israel.

"We think the debate can finish by Friday afternoon," Israeli ambassador to the IAEA Gabriella Gafni told AFP, stating that it would be impossible for the Israeli delegation to stay late.

Gafni said she had many times had international meetings when proceedings broke at 4 p.m. for Arab delegates to observe the Ramadan festival.

Israeli foreign ministry official Alon Bar said the debate had to wrap up ahead of Yom Kippur since resolutions or other measures are usually adopted by consensus by the 137-nation IAEA and the Israelis would not be there.

The head of the Arab group at the IAEA, Oman ambassador Salim Al-Riyami, told AFP: "I hope we'll succeed" to end the Israeli-related debate before Friday evening.

"We're not against religious festivals. We'll still be in time, we think."

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