Israel applauds UNSC's refusal of Iran

US, UK satisfied as Teheran loses bid for Asian seat to Japan; Livni: UN saved itself from disgrace.

By ALLISON HOFFMAN, JPOST CORRESPONDENT, NEW YORK
Iran Nuclear 224.88 (photo credit: AP [file])
Iran Nuclear 224.88
(photo credit: AP [file])
The UN General Assembly resoundingly rejected Iran's bid for a temporary seat on the UN Security Council, with the 158 countries voting for rival Japan overwhelming the 32 members that backed Teheran's quixotic campaign. Israeli officials, who have spent the past three weeks hammering the UN leadership for being too soft on Iran, saw the result as a repudiation of Iran's legitimacy by the world body. "The UN has saved itself from disgrace by preventing Iran's acceptance into the Security Council," said Kadima leader Tzipi Livni after Friday's vote. "Iran's candidacy in itself was unacceptable." Israel's UN Ambassador Gabriela Shalev was equally blunt, saying in a statement: "The members of the international community have demonstrated their resolve to prevent Ahmadinejad's Iran - a country that supports terrorism and threatens international peace - from a seat on the Security Council." Shalev was quick to extend her congratulations to Japan and the other victors - including Austria, where the center-left Social Democrats are expected to reestablish a grand coalition with the conservative People's Party that will exclude the country's far-right parties despite winning nearly 30 percent of the vote combined in last month's parliamentary elections. Political observers chalked up the success of the anti-immigration Freedom Party and the Alliance for the Future of Austria to economic concerns and disenchantment with the mainstream parties rather to a resurgence of the extremism that propelled movement figurehead Joerg Haider to victory in 1999 on the back of statements that were widely perceived as anti-Semitic. Austria won 133 votes, easily besting Iceland, which attracted just 87 votes in its first attempt to win a Security Council seat after its economic collapse prompted fears that it would be unable to conduct effective diplomacy. The country is negotiating with Russia for a bailout loan. Austria's foreign minister, Social Democratic politician Ursula Plassnik, said the successful campaign for the Security Council seat - only its third win, and the first since 1992 - was evidence of international support for Austria's diplomatic role. In comments to the Austria Press Agency, Plassnik said Austria would work for dialogue and stand for the "rigorous commitment to human rights and the rule of law, strong pressure for disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation." Austria also cast itself as a liaison between East and West - a role also sought by Turkey, which easily took the second European seat with 151 votes of 192, far more than the two-thirds majority required for a win. Turkey, a member of the NATO alliance, has not held a seat on the Security Council since 1961. The country, which hung a banner across the street from UN headquarters in New York advertising its candidacy, is pushing to join the European Union and has been increasingly active in regional diplomacy, including brokering talks between Syria and Israel. Israeli officials declined to reveal to The Jerusalem Post before Friday's secret ballot which European countries they would support. Mexico and Uganda will round out the five temporary members for the 2009-2010 term. Both countries were automatic winners after being put forward as the sole regional candidates from Latin America and the Caribbean and Africa, respectively. Nations typically lobby for support within their own regional groups before pressing ahead with bids before the wider UN General Assembly. Iran, which announced its candidacy in 2007, was widely perceived as a protest candidate and received only scattered support from a handful of so-called "non-aligned" states, including Pakistan. Iran, which is currently under three sets of Security Council sanctions over its nuclear program, may be the only country to have campaigned for a seat on the body while under censure, experts said. UN rules allow any member state to declare candidacy, but voting representatives must consider candidates' contribution to the "maintenance of international peace and security." The Italian government voted last week to block Iran's possible accession to the Asian regional seat on the grounds that sanctioned states should be disqualified. Rather than bowing out gracefully after its loss in the first round of secret balloting, Teheran - which has not won election to the Security Council since 1956 - was quick to cast blame on "inadequate opportunities with intense competition in the Asian group." Iran's UN Mission also charged that the voting was affected by "unfair behavior and a false propaganda campaign by certain major powers." Analysts said Japan would have been a formidable opponent for any country. The Asian powerhouse has served nine previous terms on the Security Council, most recently in 2006, and is a likely candidate for permanent membership if the body is expanded. In its statement, Iran's mission said it would continue to "call for change" and insist on "the need for a Security Council that is more democratic and better responding to the realities of the current era." US Deputy Ambassador Alejandro Wolff said he was satisfied with the outcome of the elections. "It's encouraging and important for Iran to understand that its continued violation of international binding resolutions of the Security Council is reflected in this very poor showing," he said. AP contributed to this report