(Bloomberg) Kambiz Foroohar - Israel is campaigning to win a coveted spot on the UN Security Council next June in a three-way race with Germany and Belgium for two spots on the council. "They've done their campaign with a level of sophistication which is remarkable, doing it systemically, arranging fact-finding missions and bilateral agreements," said Syed Akbaruddin, India's ambassador to the UN. "They start with a disadvantage in that there are countries that are not disposed to vote for them, but they have cultivated certain countries to shore up constituencies." History suggests Israel faces an uphill struggle to secure at least 128 votes, or two-thirds of the 193 member states, in a secret ballot. Richard Gowan, a UN expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations, suggested one potential twist: With the balloting conducted in secret, Saudi Arabia and its Sunni neighbors might cast their ballots for Israel on the bet it would take a tough stand against their common archenemy Iran.
2017-08-17 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive