U.S. Likely to Support Israel's Seat on UN Security Council

"In a move that could significantly bolster Israel's historic bid to join the United Nations Security Council, the US is likely to 'actively support' Israel's candidacy against Germany and Belgium, UN Ambassador Danny Danon said.

Danon, back on a work-visit to Israel, told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday that while there is still a year to go before the General Assembly will vote on the five members who will join the council in 2019, he is already raising the issue with different leaders and has discussed it with US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley.

'I think that it is clear that we will get the support of the US," Danon said. "And I think that we can even expect active support for this important bid.'...

Candidates for a non-permanent seat are allocated according to regional blocs.

Since 2000, Israel has been a member of the 28-strong Western European and Others Group. Three members have declared their intention to vie for the two spots that will be open in 2019: Israel, Belgium and Germany.

Israel is the only country in the Middle East – and one of 67 countries in the UN, many of them small island states – that has never sat on the Security Council, a body that historically has had tremendous impact on the Jewish state and the region..."