Israel defies UN sanctions by exporting gold to North Korea

In recent years, Israel has exported $400,000 in gold to North Korea in defiance of UN sanctions imposed in 2006, it has been revealed.

Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper yesterday published a report by the Knesset Economics Committee saying that although nearly 10 years have passed since the ban, Israel ratified it only this week.

Committee Chairman, MK Eitan Cabel of the Zionist Union, criticised the delay in submitting the order for approval.

“If there was such a long delay, for almost 10 years, on such a relatively simple matter, what will happen with more significant issues?” he asked.

“The gold certainly is not going to North Korean citizens, who don’t have enough to eat,” he added.

When Cabel asked if there had been any exports to North Korea, David Khoury, the export director of the Israeli Tax Authority, replied: “To my regret there was export of gold, and regretfully the UN discovered this and we were required to give explanations.”

Khoury explained that since 2011 the only exports to North Korea have been books and dental implants, and in 2014 there were no exports to Pyongyang.

The committee ratified a ban on the export or import of luxury items to North Korea, including wine and alcohol, tobacco, caviar, yachts, cosmetics, furs, gold, silver, precious and semiprecious stones, art, laptops and tablets, sporting equipment and other items.