Israel withdraws from Security Council election
United Nations, May 5: Israel has withdrawn from the election for a two-year term on the Security Council that pitted it against Germany and Belgium.
Israel's UN Mission announced the decision shortly before a debate between the three candidates was due to start at the UN on Friday afternoon.
"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," the mission said.
The non-permanent seats in the Council are distributed regionally and Israel, which is in the Western European and Other Group (WEOG), had planned to contest one of the group's two seats for the 2019-2020 term.
The failure to run unopposed for the WEOG seat is a diplomatic setback for Israel, which has never had a seat the Council, and, according to the US ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, a broken promise by West European countries.
He asserted in a tweet in March that Washington, which had brokered a deal for Israel to run unopposed for one of the WEOG seats, must ensure that the European nations kept their word.
Grenell said that the late Richard Holbrooke, a former assistant secretary of state, had arranged the deal..
Although Middle Eastern nations are in the Asia-Pacific Group, Israel has faced opposition from some members of the group and was taken in by the WEOG.
Israel has never held a Council seat and would have been difficult for Israel to win against those to European nations, but it would have won by default if it was unopposed in the group.
There is one vacancy for the Asia-Pacific Group for 2019-2020 term and Indonesia and Maldives are contesting it.
They will participate in a candidates' debate for the region organised by the World Federation of United Nations Associations on May 14.
All the 193 members of the UN will, however, vote for the non-permanent members of the Council, even though the seats are distributed by region.
The elections are scheduled for June 8.
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VHP warns of statewide stir in Karnataka against move to ease cattle transport law
Udupi (Karnataka) (PTI): The VHP on Saturday demanded the immediate withdrawal of a proposed amendment to the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, 2020, accusing the state government of weakening a law that has deterred illegal cattle transport.
The organisation's Go Raksha Wing, Karnataka South, has also announced district-level protests on December 8.
According to officials, the existing law mandates a bank guarantee for securing the release of vehicles seized for alleged illegal cattle transportation.
On December 4, the state Cabinet proposed an amendment enabling the release of such vehicles on an indemnity bond instead.
Addressing reporters in Udupi, VHP leader and Prantha Goraksha Pramukh Sunil K R, said the government's move amounted to "sympathy for cattle lifters" and claimed that it was part of broader actions "targeting Hindus".
He argued that the law in its current form is stringent and has played a crucial role in reducing incidents of illegal cattle transport and theft.
Under the Act, vehicles involved in offences can be surrendered and, upon conviction, permanently seized by authorities. "Diluting these provisions will embolden offenders," Sunil said.
The VHP leader warned that easing the process of vehicle release would not only encourage violators but also result in rising cruelty against cattle.
Sunil further claimed that the strict enforcement of the 2020 law had brought down cases of cattle-related offences significantly. Rolling back these provisions, he said, could reverse those gains and would lead to an increase in illegal transport.
He reiterated that the government must reconsider its decision and preserve the integrity of the existing law.
