U.N. nuclear assembly rejects Arab bid to pressure Israel

VIENNA (Reuters) - Member states of the U.N. nuclear agency rejected on Thursday an Arab resolution criticizing Israel over its assumed atomic arsenal, in a diplomatic victory for Western states that opposed the initiative. Arab states had submitted the non-binding resolution - which called on Israel to join a global anti-nuclear weapons pact - to the annual meeting of the 162-nation International Atomic Energy Agency, in part to signal their frustration at the lack of progress to move toward a Middle East free of nuclear weapons. The United States and its allies argued that the resolution, if adopted, would be counterproductive. Fifty-eight countries voted against the text and 45 states for. Other countries either abstained or were absent. (Reporting by Fredrik Dahl; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)