(Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS) Israel is considering whether to withdraw its bid for a seat on the U.N. Security Council that it had hoped to secure for the first time this June, with chances of winning considered slim.

To win the seat, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (who also serves as Israel’s foreign minister) and Israel’s entire diplomatic establishment would have to launch an aggressive campaign and meet with foreign dignitaries. Such a campaign has yet to be launched; sources in the Foreign Ministry say the chances of being selected have significantly decreased because the process will have begun so late.

Germany and Belgium are currently vying for a seat against Israel. These countries rejected diplomatic efforts by Israeli representatives asking that they withdaw their candidacy. To win a seat, a country must receive at least two-thirds of the votes in the U.N. General Assembly, an unlikely prospect considering the assembly suffers a known anti-Israel bias spearheaded by the Palestinians and backed by the Arab League.