Germany loses UN Security Council seat over Israel support?

Germany failed to secure a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in a June 4 vote, prompting Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul to acknowledge that Berlin's support for Israel may have cost it crucial votes.

The UNSC comprises 15 members, including five permanent and 10 non-permanent members serving two-year terms. Germany competed with Austria and Portugal for two seats allocated to the "Western European and Others" group. Ultimately, both of Germany's rivals won.

Wadephul's delegation received only 104 votes in the UN General Assembly, 23 short of the two-thirds majority required for election. It was the first time Germany lost a non-permanent seat after decades of consecutive success.

Domestic backlash

Wadephul traveled to New York last week to lobby directly, meeting about 80 ministers and ambassadors at the UN and hosting a Monday evening reception. However, the outcome immediately drew domestic criticism against Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who had pledged to restore German influence in Europe and globally.

Alice Weidel, co-leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, called the result a "disgrace." Adis Ahmetovic, foreign policy spokesman for the Social Democratic Party parliamentary group, said the vote was "a measure of how Germany is perceived internationally."

Foreign Minister Wadephul blamed the loss on Germany's positions on both Ukraine and Israel. "We have always held clear views on several issues, and those are positions not all member states share," he told reporters, acknowledging that Russia had worked to create opposition to Germany's candidacy. "Our firm support for Ukraine; the fact that Russia does not want that voice in the Security Council," he said. But he also admitted Germany's backing of Israel may have hurt its prospects. "That Germany bears a special responsibility for Israel in the Middle East conflict may also have cost votes," he said.

Blame on Israel stance?

Some analysts dismissed the idea that support for Ukraine played the leading role, arguing instead that international opposition to Berlin's backing of Israel was decisive. Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, said: "Let's be clear: Germany's support for Ukraine had nothing to do with this. Portugal and Austria – which defeated Germany – also support Ukraine no less. The issue is Germany's support for Israel's genocide and how the German government is willing to destroy international law and the UN Charter for Israel. Germany's blind support for Israel's crimes cost it the UNSC seat. That is what should have happened."

Craig Mokhiber, former director of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) New York office, also linked the loss to Germany's stance on Israel and Palestine. "In a rare moment of justice at the UN General Assembly today, Germany failed to win a Security Council seat. Germany's shameful support for genocide in Palestine and the invasion of Iran, along with its repression of human rights defenders at home, has been exposed," he said.

Since the Israel-Gaza war began in October 2023, Germany has heavily suppressed pro-Palestinian protests and ordered deportation of some activists, drawing international criticism.

Special relationship with Israel

At the UN, German diplomats have often taken a cautious approach toward Israel, frequently abstaining on resolutions about Israel and Palestine, but still supporting a two-state solution and international law. Since October 2023, the UN General Assembly has voted on at least seven resolutions related to Gaza. Germany abstained four times, then voted in favor of ceasefire resolutions in 2024 and 2025. By that time, tens of thousands of Palestinians had been killed in Gaza. The death toll has now exceeded 70,000, with thousands more missing and presumed dead under the rubble.

Since the January 2025 ceasefire, Chancellor Merz visited Israel and met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) and an International Court of Justice (ICJ) order requiring Israel to prevent genocidal acts. During a December visit, Merz said Germany had no plans to recognize a Palestinian state "in the near future." The trip came days after Germany lifted a three-month suspension on arms export licenses that could be used in Gaza. An Al Jazeera investigation found that German weapons continued to flow to Israel during that suspension period.

Other factors

Portugal, which won one of the two seats, has strong diplomatic ties across the Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking world, with growing international prestige. Antonio Costa is the President of the European Council, and Antonio Guterres is the UN Secretary-General, bolstering Portugal's reputation as a neutral diplomat. Austria may have benefited from its long-standing military neutrality and non-NATO membership, which appeals to non-aligned countries. Vienna is also one of the major UN centers. Timing also played a role: Austria began campaigning for the 2027-2028 term several years before Germany.

Nevertheless, experts say Austria's victory reflects a broader trend: Germany's diminished standing in the international community, particularly due to its steadfast support for Israel. A senior Austrian diplomat reportedly told undecided countries: vote for Austria "precisely because we are not German."