Israel to Withdraw Bid for UN Security Council Seat

The United Nations Security Council sits to meet on North Korea after their latest missile test, at the U.N. headquarters in New York City, US, September 4, 2017. REUTERS/Joe Penney
The United Nations Security Council sits to meet on North Korea after their latest missile test, at the U.N. headquarters in New York City, US, September 4, 2017. REUTERS/Joe Penney
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Israel to Withdraw Bid for UN Security Council Seat

The United Nations Security Council sits to meet on North Korea after their latest missile test, at the U.N. headquarters in New York City, US, September 4, 2017. REUTERS/Joe Penney
The United Nations Security Council sits to meet on North Korea after their latest missile test, at the U.N. headquarters in New York City, US, September 4, 2017. REUTERS/Joe Penney

Israel is considering whether to withdraw its bid for a seat on the United Nations Security Council that it had hoped to secure for the first time this June, after majority of European countries rejected its candidacy, according to diplomatic sources in Tel Aviv.

Israeli government had been hoping the new US administration led by President Donald Trump and the US ambassador Nikki Haley will increase its chances in securing the seat.

Europe objected the proposal and intends to nominate Germany or Belgium.

Elections at UN’s bodies are done according to regional affiliations. Between 1949 and 2000, Israel belonged to the “Asia-Pacific Group”, where an Arab majority automatically opposed any effort on Israel’s behalf to serving on the council.

In 2000, the UN agreed to shift Israel into the “Western Europe and Other Group”, allowing it to contend for one of the two spots reserved on the council for the bloc. Back then, European countries promised the Prime Minister Ehud Barak that Israel will be elected later for the membership of the council in the name of this group, especially after he promised to achieve peace with Palestinians.

Security Council has five permanent members and ten temporary members that are replaced every two years.

In order to win a seat on the influential council, a nation must get the support of two-thirds of the UN General Assembly. Israel's group include 28 countries and is represented currently by Sweden and Holland, whose memberships end in 2018.

Currently, three countries are competing for the two seats: Germany, Belgium, and Israel. These countries rejected diplomatic efforts by Israeli representatives asking that they withdraw their candidacy.

To win a seat, a country must receive at least two-thirds of the votes in the UN General Assembly, but it is known that most UN members reject attempts to promote Israel for its policies and activities against Palestinians.

Elections are set to take place next June and Israeli government backed by the US administration began a campaign to increase its chances. However, their attempts were futile and officials at Israeli foreign ministry admit that their chances are low and there is not enough time left to achieve their goal.

Although Israel has not officially announced its withdrawal, it is aware that its chances of winning the seat are low.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not yet finalized his decision on the matter, but the Foreign Ministry has expressed a wish to quit the race because of the improbability of a win, according to a senior official familiar with the matter.



Red Cross: Gaza Humanitarian Work on 'Verge of Total Collapse'

People look for survivors in the rubble of a building hit in an Israeli strike in the Bureij camp for Palestinian refugees in the central Gaza Strip on May 2, 2025. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)
People look for survivors in the rubble of a building hit in an Israeli strike in the Bureij camp for Palestinian refugees in the central Gaza Strip on May 2, 2025. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)
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Red Cross: Gaza Humanitarian Work on 'Verge of Total Collapse'

People look for survivors in the rubble of a building hit in an Israeli strike in the Bureij camp for Palestinian refugees in the central Gaza Strip on May 2, 2025. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)
People look for survivors in the rubble of a building hit in an Israeli strike in the Bureij camp for Palestinian refugees in the central Gaza Strip on May 2, 2025. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)

The Red Cross warned Friday that the humanitarian response in Gaza was on the "verge of total collapse" after two months of Israel blocking aid to the war-torn Palestinian territory.

"Without an immediate resumption of aid deliveries, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will not have access to the food, medicines, and life-saving supplies needed to sustain many of its programs in Gaza," AFP quoted it as saying in a statement.

Israel strictly controls all inflows of international aid vital for the 2.4 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

It halted aid deliveries to Gaza on March 2, days before the collapse of a ceasefire that had significantly reduced hostilities after 15 months of war.

Since the start of the blockade, the United Nations has repeatedly warned of the humanitarian catastrophe on the ground, with famine again looming.

"Civilians in Gaza are facing an overwhelming daily struggle to survive the dangers of hostilities, cope with relentless displacement, and endure the consequences of being deprived of urgent humanitarian assistance," Pascal Hundt, ICRC Deputy Director of Operations said in Friday's statement.

"This situation must not —- and cannot -— be allowed to escalate further."

ICRC stressed that under international humanitarian law, "Israel has an obligation to use all means available to ensure that the basic needs of the civilian population under its control are met".

"If the blockage continues, programs such as the ICRC common kitchens — which often provide the only meal people receive each day — will only be able to operate for a few more weeks," it warned.

The UN's World Food Program (WFP) said a week ago that it had sent out its "last remaining food stocks" to kitchens.

ICRC cautioned that the field hospital it runs in Gaza was also "running dangerously low on food and medical supplies, with some essential medicines and consumables already exhausted".

"Disruption to water systems, including the closure of water pipelines and destruction of critical sewage trucks, has created an unacceptably high risk of waterborne diseases," it said.

This dire situation was compounded by repeated attacks impacting the work of healthcare facilities and personnel, ICRC said.