UN Security Council in New York. Photo: wiki commons.

Israel issued a formal complaint against Germany for blocking it from serving on the United Nations Security Council in 2018, Israel Hayom reported. Israel has never held a position on the council, although nations such as Syria and Iran have.

The Security Council comprises five permanent and 10 rotating members, elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms and chosen from regional groups. Due to pressures by the Arab League, Israel was removed from the Asian region and placed in the “Western European and others” regional group.

For years Israel has tried to be part of the council. Germany recently decided to vie for the 2018 spot, and Israel conceivably has no chance of winning against Germany.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said that Israel and Germany had an agreement in which Germany said it would not run, but the agreement was breached.