Israel was admitted to the Confederation 70 years ago - on the occasion of this anniversary, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas complained that the country was being treated badly by the UN bodies: "Israel is being criticized inappropriately, treated as one-sided and marginalized."
That was painful and unsatisfactory, so Maas. Precisely because the United Nations was the centerpiece of the multilateral, rule-based order. Germany therefore continues to be on the side of Israel in the United Nations. Its security and right to exist should not be called into question.
"We will continue to support legitimate interests, as well as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, to strengthen its presence in the United Nations and to stand with conviction and emphasis against any attempt to isolate or delegitimize Israel," Maas said. (Read a portrait of Heiko Maas here.)
Israel is wrongly pilloried for its occupation and settlement policies. At the same time, the most serious human rights crimes in other countries would be ignored, according to Jerusalem.
For years, the country has been condemned in resolutions of the UN General Assembly and specialized agencies such as the UN Human Rights Council. The EU Parliament also demands a halt and a reversal of the settlement policy, which, according to a declaration from 2017, is "illegal under international law."
In his recent election campaign, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had promised to annex parts of the West Bank; this is a highly problematic position under international law. The Palestinians want the areas instead for their own state of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital.