Relationship dossier
Israel
North Korea
Relationship assessment
Hostile political alignment and no diplomatic relations, with disputes centered on North Korea’s weapons programs and its stance toward Israel.
Israel toward North Korea
-35Israel has supported international sanctions and pressure in response to North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs, reflecting concern about their security implications.
North Korea toward Israel
-40North Korea has aligned itself with the Palestinian cause and has expressed hostility toward Israel. The extent of direct government engagement with Israel is unclear.
Overall relationship
-35The enduring relationship is adversarial, shaped by Israel’s opposition to North Korea’s weapons programs and North Korea’s hostile stance toward Israel and alignment with the Palestinian cause. The absence of diplomatic relations leaves little basis for sustained bilateral cooperation.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Israel and North Korea have no diplomatic relations and are positioned on opposing sides of disputes involving North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs and Israel’s security. Israel has supported international pressure over North Korea’s weapons programs. North Korea has aligned itself with the Palestinian cause and has used hostile rhetoric toward Israel. The scope of direct bilateral engagement is limited.
Areas of tension
- North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs and Israel’s support for international pressure over them.
- North Korea’s hostile stance toward Israel and alignment with the Palestinian cause.
Major uncertainties
- The extent of North Korean material or political support to groups confronting Israel is unclear.
- The scope of direct Israeli-North Korean government contact is unclear.