Advances in the Middle East peace process ensure that Israel will find a warmer climate at the United Nations, but Israel’s struggle to attain membership in a regional group remains a challenge, according to Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Gad Yaacobi.
At a briefing to mark the opening of the 50th session of the U.N. General Assembly this week, Yaacobi noted the improvement in the “atmosphere” at the United Nations and in Israel’s overall standing in the international community since the signing of the Declaration of Principles with the Palestine Liberation Organization in September 1993.
Israel now has relations with 155 of 185 member states.
Last year, Israel “was not condemned even once by the Security Council,” Yaacobi said.
And, for the first time four Israelis were elected to U.N. posts in secret ballots.
Yaacobi predicted that the warming trend would only accelerate with the implementation of the next stage of the self-rule agreement with the Palestine Liberation Organization.
But “much remains to be accomplished,” he added.
Israel still does enjoy “the basic right of every member-state” to be a member of a regional group, he said. Membership in a regional group is essential to qualify for a rotating seat on the Security Council as well as seats in other key U.N. bodies.
Although the Asian group is Israel’s rightful place, “regional political realities” deny it entry into the group, said the ambassador. “No one expects Iran and Iraq to accept us.”
Instead, Israel has been actively seeking a seat in the West European and Others group, whose members are Western-style democracies from three continents. They include Western European countries, Canada, Australia and the United States.
But Yaacobi said some members of the WEO group are unenthusiastic about Israel joining simply because it would be at the expense of their representation.
“They will have to share a limited number of seats,” he said.
The 50th U.N. session will be marked by active lobbying by Israel for support for this membership, Yaacobi said.
Yaacobi said Israel is hoping that the General Assembly would adopt a strong statement of support for the peace process – co-sponsored by the United States, Russia and Norway – similar to the one issued in last year’s session.
Israel, meanwhile, has been working closely with Russia on a draft resolution commemorating the end of World War II slated to come before the General Assembly Oct. 18.
Israeli amendments to the resolution have been adopted by Russia, including one which mentions the death camps. But Israel’s proposed inclusion of a specific reference to the Holocaust has been thwarted by some non-aligned countries, including Moslem states.
Yaacobi said he does not consider the rejection of the Holocaust reference a “slap to the Jews,” considering its source and that Israel will not withdraw its support for the measure as a result.
Instead, he said he will use the occasion of the commemoration to speak to the General Assembly about the meaning of the end of the war to the Jews and its relationship to the founding of Israel.
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