New York - German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas rejected on Wednesday criticism of Berlin’s decision to compete against Israel for a seat on the U.N. Security Council in 2019 and 2020, saying it was normal for a number of countries to seek representation.
Maas told reporters before his first United Nations visit as foreign minister that Germany’s candidacy had been announced long ago, and did not diminish its strong support for Israel.
“We are not running against anyone; we are running for a seat,” he said, following the criticism from Washington’s nominee as U.S. ambassador to Berlin and others. “That is a topic that one can deal with very normally.”
The Council comprises five permanent members and 10 non-permanent members elected by the U.N. General Assembly for two-year terms. Germany last held a non-permanent seat in 2011-12 and is vying with Israel and Belgium for one of the two seats to be filled in 2019-20.
Richard Grenell, whose nomination is held up in the Senate, said earlier this month that the United States had brokered a deal in the 1990s with countries in the U.N.‘s Western European and Others Group to allow Israel to run uncontested for a seat.
Grenell, the U.S. spokesman at the U.N. from 2001 to 2009, tweeted about the issue on March 14, saying, “Israel has waited 19 years! The US must demand that Europe keep its word.”
German diplomats deny any such agreement was made. The Israeli mission to the U.N. declined to comment on Grenell’s tweet.
Conservative and pro-Israeli groups in the United States have also criticized Germany’s decision to run for the seat at the same time as Israel.
Maas said Germany was well-placed to serve on the Council since it was the second largest provider of both funds and troops for the U.N. and played a big role in humanitarian and stabilization missions, as well as on climate change.
Security Council candidates must win more than...read more at Reuters
