Ghana’s decision to vote against making Jerusalem the capital of Israel is an error in judgment, ill-advised and desperate attempt to court Arab petrodollars, according to a group calling itself Ghana Friends of Israel.
United States President, Donald Trump courted controversy when he decided to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and subsequently decided to move the American embassy to Jerusalem.
But Ghana joined more than 128 nations of the United Nations which voted against the US’ decision, instead endorsing a position that Jerusalem can only be said to be Israel’s capital after a peace deal is reached with Palestine.
However, addressing the press on Monday, Dr. Samuel Owona, Convener of the Ghana Friends of Israel group called on President Akufo-Addo to reverse the decision, or Ghana stands doomed.
“To take a stand that rejects Jerusalem as the undivided, eternal capital of Israel is a gross error of judgment, a blatant refusal to learn from history and a grave and costly mistake. It does not have any merit except perhaps the misplaced hope to call the favour of the Arab world and their petrodollar.”
“It was ill-conceived, ill-advised and dangerous for the nation and its leadership. Jerusalem has been and is a divinely chosen religious and political capital of the Jewish people. It has never been the capital of other nation or people apart from the Jewish people not even during the 2000 years in exile…” he added.
Dr. Owona further called on the government to “take appropriate measures to reverse the position it has taken so as to avert any calamity that not even billions of petrol dollars pledge can avert.”
Israeli Embassy disappointed in Ghana
The Israeli Embassy in Ghana in December 2017 expressed disappointment over Ghana’s vote against the US President, Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
According to the Embassy, it “regrets the mistaken vote of Ghana against the State of Israel during the Special United Nation’s (UN) General Assembly sitting on Thursday, 21 December 2017, as the Assembly adopted a resolution regarding Israel’s capital Jerusalem.”
It said it was hopeful that Ghana will not repeat “such mistake” in subsequent motions before the General Assembly.
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By: Godwin A. Allotey & Caleb Kudah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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