Facing an uphill struggle in an election next month, Israel announced Friday it was pulling out of a race for a seat on the U.N. Security Council. The Security Council has five permanent members — the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France — and 10 members elected by the 193-member General Assembly for two-year terms. Israel's U.N. Mission said in a statement Friday that "after consulting with our partners, including our good friends, the State of Israel has decided to postpone its candidacy for a seat on the Security Council." "This includes the Security Council as well as an emphasis on areas related to development and innovation." Israel announced its withdrawal minutes before WEOG candidates were scheduled to appear and answer questions Friday afternoon from U.N. member states.

Source: ABC News May 04, 2018 19:22 UTC