Israel announced on Friday that it would end its long-shot bid to secure a seat on the powerful United Nations Security Council.
“After consulting with our partners, including our good friends, the State of Israel has decided to postpone its candidacy for a seat on the Security Council,” said a statement from Israel’s Permanent Mission to the United Nation.
“It was decided that we will continue to act with our allies to allow for Israel to realize its right for full participation and inclusion in decision-making processes at the U.N.,” the statement added. “This includes the Security Council, as well as an emphasis on areas related to development and innovation.”
Israel, which is a member of the Western Europe and Others Group in the world body, had been competing against Germany and Belgium for two seats on the 15-nation council in the 2019-20 term. A candidate for the nonpermanent seat on the council must secure a two-thirds vote in the General Assembly—a difficult task for Israel given the large bloc of Arab and Muslim countries that regularly vote against the Jewish state.
The vote for the seat is scheduled for June 8.
The Palestinian Authority and Arab states had launched a campaign to block Israel’s bid for the seat.
Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki said last month that they are “doing everything possible to convince as many countries as possible to block the vote on Israel’s bid for a seat at the Security Council.”
Despite the ongoing hostility towards Israel in the United Nations, the Jewish state has seen some success in recent years, with Ambassador Danny Danon being selected to the U.N.’s Legal Committee and serving as vice president of the General Assembly.
