The Sankofa symbol expresses the instruction to turn backwards to history and tradition and take important knowledge and values, thus a better future will be built up. During this time of international discussion concerning Jerusalem, let us follow this principle and review once again the history of our beloved Jerusalem – the city that is compact together! (Psalms, 122:3, NKJV).

The long 3000 years of existence of Jerusalem is well documented. It is embedded in its soil, burnt in archaeological discoveries and most importantly, it is well-illustrated in the Holy Bible. King David began the process of sanctifying Jerusalem by transferring the Holy Ark into it. Therefore, Jerusalem became holy for King David’s descendants – the sons of Israel, and following that to Christians and Muslims. It was King Solomon who was instructed to build the house of God in Jerusalem.

As it says in 2 Chronicles, 3:1: “Then Solomon began to build the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David. It was on the threshing floor of Araunan[a] the Jebusite, the place provided by David”.

The holiness of Jerusalem and its significance as a religious center increased due to pilgrimages that were obeying “The words which Moses spoke unto all Israel” in the name of God (Deuteronomy, 1:1). The people of Israel were told to appear before the Lord at a place which He chooses three times a year.”…at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles” Deuteronomy, 16:16 NKJV.

During the Second Temple period (538BC – 70AD), the tradition of pilgrimage had become a common practice. That is why Jesus Christ was entering Jerusalem at that famous time. Jesus Christ went through the golden gate and was welcomed with palm branches on his way to the Temple. It was during spring time when the Feast of Unleavened Bread was celebrated, which is also known as the Jewish holiday of Passover. King Herod expanded that temple and made it the largest and most luxurious building in the East at that time.

Historically, the name Jerusalem has been preserved until 135 AD. The change came after the Bar-Kokhba revolt, in which the Jews were fighting for their independence and for their right to worship their God. Following that, the Romans changed the name of Jerusalem to Aelia Capitolina, and the name of the province Judea to Syria-Palestina.

It was done in order to erase any trace of Jewish identity of the city. Most of the Jews – the descendants of King David, were deported to exile, but kept on praying to go back to Jerusalem during the long diaspora.

The consistent use of some proverbs throughout generations by the sons of Israel all over the world reflects their deep bond to Jerusalem. A bond that was kept through the long diaspora for thousands of years. For example, at every Jewish wedding ceremony, the groom says: “If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill!” Psalm 137:5, NKJV. This demonstrates the eternal love, loyalty and commitment of the people of Israel to Jerusalem, which shows up even at the most private and significant ceremony such as marriage. Another saying that follows an ancient ritual in the Jewish tradition is: “Next year in built Jerusalem”. It is said every year at the end of Passover’s dinner, after reading the Exodus story of the sons of Israel from Egypt through the work of the almighty God. It shows the strong wish of every Jew to reach Jerusalem, and if he has not yet managed to get there, he hopes and prays to be there in the next year.

Jewish heritage and identity were kept by many members of the Jewish communities around the world. Many of them continued to use the Hebrew language – the original language of the Old Testament, as the prayer and religious studies language.

Today, the Palestinians are trying to rewrite the history, so they can gain a political support around the world and by false representation to achieve their purpose – to destroy the existence of the state of Israel! Understanding that the historical right of the Jewish people to Jerusalem is well based in the Holy Bible, they are trying to claim that they are the descendants of the Jebusites and the Canaanites. The only problem with this claim is the complete absence of scientific evidence to substantiate this false argument.

Psalms, 122:1-3, NKJV, illustrates the excitement, love and respect of pilgrims attending Jerusalem: “I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the LORD. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is built as a city that is compact together.” According to these verses, it is harmony, tolerance and mercy that build up Jerusalem. This attitude is well applied today by the Israeli democracy. Every individual can worship his religion and reach his holy sites. Israel is the only democracy in the region and the concept: “Freedom of religion” appears at the Israeli “Declaration of Independence” and well respected despite the challenges that are involved in implementing it.

It says: “For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee. Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good.” Psalms, 122:8-9, NKJV. That peaceful tolerance spirit of integrity did not lead the house of the UN on December 21, 2017. 128 members of the UN General Assembly, including Ghana, voted against the United States’ recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and its decision to move the USA embassy from Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem. That UN voting is fundamentally wrong and illegitimate, as it is violates the sovereignty of two of its democratic members. First, Israel’s right, as a sovereign country to choose its capital, and second, the USA’s right as a sovereign state to determine its foreign policy towards another state. No one has the right to interfere in that declaration of the USA. No one has the right to cancel it, not even 128 members of the UN!

The famous proverb associated with the Sankofa symbol says: “It is not wrong to go back for that which you have forgotten”. Looking back at the long history of Jerusalem and the founder of Holy Jerusalem: King David, the king of Israel, clarifies once again the unbroken linkage between the people of Israel to Jerusalem! Let us hope that Jerusalem will be well kept as a peaceful and unifying factor for all its lovers forever, as it says in Psalms: 122:6, NKJV: “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.”
–
By: H. E. Ami Melh
Ambassador of the State of Israel to Ghana
Dr. Yael Mehl, Public Diplomacy Coordinator, Embassy of the State of Israel to Ghana

The post Israeli Ambassador writes on Jerusalem: Looking backward for the sake of the future appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

“As provoked by Donald Trump’s declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, I am pleading with all Muslims to remain calm and focus on maintaining peace around the globe.”

The renowned Ghanaian Islamic scholar made the call in a Citi News interview on the sidelines at the 4th annual Mawlid of the Prophet of Islam organized in Tamale by the Bamba Islamic Institute, under the auspices of Masjidul Qudwah.

He presented a paper on the topic, “The humanity legacies of the Prophet of Islam for the welfare of Muslims.”

Dr. Sibaway Zakaria commended the United Nations (UN) majority’s rejection of Donald Trump’s declaration which attracted global condemnation and protests in some Muslim nations.

“We need to show maturity, decorum and show some form of ability not to go blow for blow but to do things are acceptable. Look at what the UN did concerning that particular declaration of Jerusalem as the capital. They have voted against the issue and the majority of nations have decried what Trump has done.”

“That one alone sounds a warning to Trump. It means that the world is behind Palestinians because the world is looking at the issue of justice.”

Dr. Zakaria advised Donald Trump to apply wisdom and diplomacy in handling the age long land dispute between Palestinians and Israelis saying, “Perhaps it is for Trump and his allies to understand that if you have power at a point in time don’t misuse that power. Don’t think because you have power what you want must happen.”

“Power keeps on rotating. Power may leave your hand just as power left some people hands before you now have power.”

He also implored Muslims to promote gender equality by not treating women as infidels.

Dr. Zakaria underscored the need for Muslims to promote cleanliness in their communities in line with the humanity legacies of the Prophet of Islam.

A senior lecturer at the University for Development Studies (UDS), Sheikh Dr. Al-Hussain Haazic Zakaria in a presentation on the topic, “Application of prophetic vision to the challenges of contemporary Islamic leadership,” admonished Muslims to choose leaders with vision and passion for socioeconomic development.

He stressed the need for Muslims to live exemplary lifestyles that will attract non Muslims to join Islam.

Dr. Al-Hussain Zakaria encouraged Muslim parents and guardians to nurture the youth to be responsible citizens.

Other speakers highlighted the significance of the humanity legacies of the Prophet of Islam.

The Northern Regional Minister, Salifu Saeed appealed to Islamic Clerics to intensity their prayers for national cohesion.

He warned trouble makers in Dagbon to stop making inflammatory comments on Tamale based local radio stations.

Salifu Saeed reaffirmed government’s determination to bring to finality, the protected chieftaincy dispute between the Abudu and Andani royals in the Dagbon traditional area.

He disclosed government’s intention to recruit 3,000 Arabic Instructors in 2018 to promote circular education.

Spiritual leader and chief Imam of Masjidul Qudwa, Sheikh Amin Bamba prayed for the nation’s prosperity.

He condemned lateness to events christened, “African time,” which according to him, has affected the continent’s development.

–

By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Ignore Trump, target peaceful resolution of Jerusalem impasse – Lecturer  appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

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.”

[contextly_sidebar id=”9zOT6KfVG6xDjk9UtnNtf0L1w9nvBtmT”]It said it was hopeful that Ghana will not repeat “such mistake” in subsequent motions before the General Assembly.

Ghana was among the 128 countries that endorsed a position that Jerusalem, which is being claimed by Israel and Palestine as capital, can only be said to be Israel’s capital after a peace deal is reached.

At an emergency session of United Nations on Thursday, only 9 countries, including the US and Israel, voted against the position of waiting until consensus has been built on the matter.

The US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, ahead of the votes threatened that the US will remember countries that “disrespected” it by voting against it.

The US government had also threatened to cut funding to countries that did not back its position.

She said the US “would be taking names…When we make generous contributions to the UN, we also have expectation that we will be respected…What’s more, we are being asked to pay for the dubious privileges of being disrespected.”

“If our investment fails, we have an obligation to spend our investment in other ways… The United States will remember this day,” she said.

Donald Trump, while speaking at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, said “Let them vote against us… We’ll save a lot. We don’t care. But this isn’t like it used to be where they could vote against you and then you pay them hundreds of millions of dollars,” he said.

“We’re not going to be taken advantage of any longer” he added.

Despite the threat, countries such as Nigeria, Congo, Ivory Coast, Namibia, Mali, and Zimbabwe all voted against the US’ position.

Israel, which stands in the same position as the US that Jerusalem is its rightful capital, was one of the nine countries including the US that voted against the motion.

H.E Ami Mehl, Israel’s Ambassador to Ghana in a statement copied to citifmonline.com, described Thursday’s vote as a “farce”, saying it will not affect their recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Read the Israel Embassy’s statement below:

The vote against the United States (US) by the United Nation’s General Assembly special sitting on Thursday, 21 December 2017 is nothing but a farce. The UN cannot dictate to Israel or any other country which of its cities it has to recognize as a capital. In the same regard, the UN cannot dictate to the US or any other country whether or not to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and where to site their embassies in Israel.

This voting by the UN General Assembly is meaningless from the view point of International Law. It is therefore evident that, the Palestinians are using all forms of diplomatic efforts in international organizations to fight against Israel instead of engaging in direct negotiations with Israel for the sake of peace.

As stated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel completely rejects this resolution. Jerusalem was, is and will always remain the eternal capital of Israel.

The Embassy of the State of Israel in Ghana therefore 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. We hope such mistake will not be repeated by Ghana in subsequent motions.

–

By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Israeli Embassy disappointed in Ghana over Jerusalem vote appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

About 30 other African countries including Ghana, however voted in favour of the resolution supporting the longstanding international consensus that the status of Jerusalem – which is claimed as a capital by both Israel and the Palestinians – can only be settled as an agreed final issue in a peace deal.

[contextly_sidebar id=”1lRqw0TGLEMPHLoB3fw6bvpqDwMQZByV”]Benin, Cameroon, Lesotho, Malawi, Rwanda, and Uganda, however refrained from voting.

The voting was done amidst heightened tension as the US had threatened some member countries over voting against the US’s position.

The US was expectant that member countries backed it recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, but that did not turn out as it expected.

The US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, ahead of the votes threatened that the US will remember which countries that “disrespected” it by voting against it.

The US government had also threatened to cut funding to countries that did not back its position.

She said the US “would be taking names…When we make generous contributions to the UN, we also have expectation that we will be respected…What’s more, we are being asked to pay for the dubious privileges of being disrespected.”

“If our investment fails, we have an obligation to spend our investment in other ways… The United States will remember this day,” she said.

Donald Trump, while speaking at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, said “Let them vote against us… We’ll save a lot. We don’t care. But this isn’t like it used to be where they could vote against you and then you pay them hundreds of millions of dollars…We’re not going to be taken advantage of any longer.”

The warning appeared largely aimed at UN members in Africa, Asia and Latin America, who are regarded as more vulnerable to US pressure.

Egypt, which is named among the countries that voted against the US’ position last year alone benefited from over $1 Billion in aid from the US.

How the World voted?

Countries that voted in favour of the resolution

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Chad, Chile, China, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Ecuador, Egypt, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guinea, Guyana, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania and Luxembourg.

Others are Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea (South Korea), Russia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe.

Countries that voted in favour of the decision

Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Togo, United States

Countries that refrained from voting

Antigua-Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Benin, Bhutan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cameroon, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Haiti, Hungary, Jamaica, Kiribati, Latvia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Rwanda, Solomon Islands, South Sudan, Trinidad-Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu

–

By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post How African countries voted on US’ Jerusalem decision appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Ghana was among the 128 countries that endorsed a position that Jerusalem, which is being claimed by Israel and Palestine as capital, can only be said to be Israel’s capital after a peace deal is reached.

At an emergency session of United Nations on Thursday, only 9 countries, including the US and Israel, voted against the position of waiting until consensus has been built on the matter.

The US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, ahead of the votes threatened that the US will remember which countries that “disrespected” it by voting against it.

The US government had also threatened to cut funding to countries that did not back the US’ position.

She said the US “would be taking names…When we make generous contributions to the UN, we also have expectation that we will be respected…What’s more, we are being asked to pay for the dubious privileges of being disrespected.”

“If our investment fails, we have an obligation to spend our investment in other ways… The United States will remember this day,” she said.

Donald Trump, while speaking at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, said “Let them vote against us… We’ll save a lot. We don’t care. But this isn’t like it used to be where they could vote against you and then you pay them hundreds of millions of dollars,” he said.

“We’re not going to be taken advantage of any longer.

Despite the threat, countries such as Nigeria, Congo, Ivory Coast, Namibia, Mali, and Zimbabwe all voted against the US’ position.

Countries which supported the US included Togo, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Marshall Islands, Guatemala, and Honduras.

Other countries abstained

About 32 other countries including Canada, Benin, Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan and Mexico declined to vote for or against the motion.

The US has been at the center of global outrage after its President, Donald Trump, declared that country’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Many believe the declaration was premature as the world was expecting an amicable settlement of the matter between Israel and Palestine.

Trump’s declaration sparked series of violent protests, especially in Palestine.

Some groups in Ghana have declared solidarity for Palestine in the impasse between that country and Israel.

They believe Israel was oppressing Palestine.

The opposition National Democratic Congress [NDC], Member of Parliament for Kumbungu, Ras Mubarak, who is the Spokesperson for the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, had said in a previous interview that Ghanaians should boycott the use of American and Israeli products in solidarity with Palestine.

“What Trump has done will not bring peace in Palestine let alone the globe”, he said.

–

By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Ghana votes against US on Jerusalem despite threat to cut funding appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Addressing a summit of the Organisation for Islamic Co-operation, he said the US decision to recognise the city as Israel’s capital was “null and void”.

Mr Erdogan also again accused Israel of being a “state of terror”.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said the US had “disqualified itself from playing a role in the peace process”.

“We shall not accept any role for the United States in the peace process. They have proven their full bias in favour of Israel,” he told the summit.

The status of Jerusalem goes to the heart of Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians.

The city is home to key religious sites sacred to Judaism, Islam and Christianity, especially in East Jerusalem.

Israel occupied the sector, previously occupied by Jordan, in the 1967 Middle East war and regards the entire city as its indivisible capital.

The Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state, and its final status is meant to be discussed in the latter stages of peace talks.

Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem has never been recognised internationally, and all countries currently maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv. However, President Donald Trump has announced that the US will eventually move its embassy.

‘Diplomatic solution’

The BBC’s Mark Lowen in Istanbul says the rhetoric at the start of the OIC summit was strong.

But the question is what in practice the grouping can do, he adds, given the fact some members are more pro-Trump than others.

Our correspondent says various countries have only sent ministers to the meeting, possibly a sign of low expectation, and the reaction on the streets of the Muslim world to the Jerusalem issue has been relatively restrained.

Mr Erdogan threatened to cut Turkish ties with Israel before Mr Trump’s announcement last week, though he made no mention of this in his speech.

Turkey and Israel only restored diplomatic relations in 2016, six years after Turkey severed ties in protest at the killing of nine pro-Palestinian Turkish activists in clashes with Israeli commandos on board a ship trying to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza.

Mr Erdogan instead urged a unified response by Muslim nations to Mr Trump’s Jerusalem decision.

“I invite all the countries that value international law and justice to recognise Jerusalem as the occupied capital of the Palestinian state,” he said.

“Those who fight with their friends forget to fight with their enemies,” he added. “We need a diplomatic solution. We have to stop Israel gaining more land from Palestine day by day. And we must not accept the policies and attitude Israel has been displaying day by day.”

–

Source: BBC

The post Erdogan: World should recognise Jerusalem as Palestinian capital appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Security forces fired tear gas and water cannon to force back flag-waving protesters close to the embassy complex north of the capital, Beirut.

Overnight the Arab League condemned the US decision.

It said the US could not now be relied upon as a broker of Middle East peace.

The protesters threw stones and set fires in the street close to the embassy in the Awkar district.

The security forces had barricaded the main road leading to the large complex.

Local media reported that some protesters had tried to break through the entrance to the compound, climbing barbed wire.

The demonstrators, many wearing black and white scarves, chanted slogans denouncing Mr Trump.

One group set an effigy of the US president alight.

Lebanon is home to hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees, including those who fled Israel after it was founded, and their descendants.

In other developments:

• Thousands of people demonstrated outside the US embassy in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, some waving banners reading “Palestine is in our hearts”
• A burning object was thrown at a synagogue in the Swedish city of Gothenburg late on Saturday in what police said was a failed arson attempt. Jewish community leader Allan Stutzinsky said recent events had led to “higher threats”
• Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu will be in Paris on Sunday for talks with President Emmanuel Macron, ahead of meetings with EU foreign ministers on Monday

There have been three days of protests by Palestinians and their supporters since Mr Trump’s announcement, both in the region and in nations further afield.

Israel has always regarded Jerusalem as its capital, while the Palestinians claim East Jerusalem – occupied by Israel in the 1967 war – as the capital of a future Palestinian state.

Mr Trump has said his decision fulfils a campaign promise and that it is “nothing more or less than a recognition of reality”.

The Arab League resolution came overnight after hours of talks in Cairo. It was backed by a number of US allies, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, who had already voiced their concern.

The resolution said:

• The US had “withdrawn itself as a sponsor and broker” of any possible Israeli-Palestinian peace process through its decision
• Mr Trump’s move “deepens tension, ignites anger and threatens to plunge the region into more violence and chaos”
• A request would be made for the UN Security Council to condemn the move

–

Source: BBC

The post Trump Jerusalem move: Tear gas at Lebanon US embassy protest appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The US state department has been directed by President Donald Trump to begin moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The US’ decision is viewed as having hefty consequences because of the standing of Jerusalem to Israel and the Palestinians; two counties that have been in conflict for decades.

Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem has never been recognised as all countries situate their embassies in Tel Aviv.

East Jerusalem, was annexed by Israel after the Six Day War of 1967 and has not been recognised as part of Israel until the US’ decision.

In an interview with Israeli media network, i24NEWS on Tuesday in relation to these developments, Prof. Oquaye said Ghana would abide with Israel’s wishes on the standing of Jerusalem because “whatever Israel wants, we in Ghana will go by that, because that is essentially an internal decision.”

The Speaker was in Israel as part of the “Power Africa” initiative where he also alluded to the strong “historical ties between Israel and Ghana.”

But with the knowledge of the volatile nature of Israel-Palestine relations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration stated that the comments made by Prof. Ocquaye did not reflect Ghana’s foreign policy.

“While appreciating the interest taken by Rt. Hon. Mike Ocquaye, the Foreign Ministry wishes to emphasize that it is a personal view to which the Rt. Hn. Speaker is entitled,” a statement from the Ministry said.

The ministry emphasized the government’s neutral stance on the matter saying that “Ghana has always supported the position that the Palestinian-Isreali conflict should be resolved peacefully between the parties themselves and all the stakeholders involved. It is therefore important to all stakeholders and observers to remain neutral until final resolution by partners.”

The statement also noted that Ghana has generally called “for a fair and comprehensive resolution of the conflict.”

“While the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration does not wish to stifle debates on this issue which is of international concern, the Minister will appeal to all well-minded persons to take cognizance of the sensitivity of the issue.”

–

By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Prof. Oquaye’s comments on Jerusalem his personal view – Gov’t appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

In a statement, the Gulf kingdom said President Donald Trump’s announcement was “unjustified and irresponsible”.

But Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu hailed it as “a historic day”.

President Trump’s move reversed decades of US policy. The fate of Jerusalem is one of the thorniest issues between Israel and the Palestinians.

Eight of the 15 nations who are currently members of the United Nations Security Council have called for the body to hold an urgent meeting on the US decision by the end of the week.

Why is this significant?

Mr Trump’s Wednesday announcement puts the US at odds with the rest of the international community’s view on Jerusalem’s status.

The Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state, and according to the 1993 Israel-Palestinian peace accords, its final status is meant to be discussed in the latter stages of peace talks.

Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem has never been recognised internationally, and until now all countries have maintained their embassies in Tel Aviv.

Jerusalem contains sites sacred to the three major monotheistic faiths – Judaism, Islam and Christianity.

East Jerusalem, which includes the Old City, was annexed by Israel after the Six Day War of 1967, but is not internationally recognised as part of Israel.

What did Trump say?

The US president said he had “judged this course of action to be in the best interests of the United States of America, and the pursuit of peace between Israel and the Palestinians”.

He said he was directing the US state department to begin preparations to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Despite warnings of regional unrest over any such move, the decision fulfils a campaign promise and appeals to Mr Trump’s right-wing base.

“Today, I am delivering,” the US leader said.

Recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital was “nothing more or less than a recognition of reality”, he added. “It is also the right thing to do.”

Mr Trump said the US still supported a two-state solution to the longstanding Israeli-Palestinian conflict, if approved by both sides, which would essentially see the creation of an independent Palestinian state living alongside Israel.

What do Israel and the Palestinians say?

In response, Mr Netanyahu said Israel was profoundly grateful to President Trump.

“Jerusalem has been the focus of our hopes, our dreams, our prayers for three millennia,” he tweeted.

Meanwhile, the US has asked Israel to temper its response to Mr Trump’s announcement because Washington expects a backlash, Reuters news agency reports citing a state department document.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the city was the “eternal capital of the state of Palestine”.

He called Mr Trump’s announcement “deplorable”, saying the US could no longer be a peace broker.

There were demonstrations in Gaza against the decision before it was announced in response to a call from the Islamist Hamas movement that runs the Gaza strip, local pro-Hamas media reported.

Hamas said that Mr Trump’s decision would “open the doors of hell” on US interests in the region.

What does the rest of the world say?

The Arab and the wider Muslim world – including a number of US allies – condemned Mr Trump’s announcement:

Demonstrations have already taken outside the US consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.

“The US move represents a significant decline in efforts to push a peace process and is a violation of the historically neutral American position on Jerusalem,” the Saudi royal court said.

Malaysian PM Najib Razak called on Muslims everywhere to “make it clear that we strongly oppose” the US move.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said it was “a moment of great anxiety”. He said “there is no alternative to the two-state solution”.

In other reaction:

• British PM Theresa May said she disagreed with the US decision, which was “unhelpful in terms of prospects for peace in the region”
• German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron both said their countries did not support the move
• EU chief diplomat Federica Mogherini voiced “serious concern”

–

Source: BBC

The post Jerusalem status: Saudis condemn Trump’s announcement appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Mr Trump described the move as “a long overdue step” to advance the Middle East peace process.

The fate of the ancient city is one of the thorniest issues between Israel and the Palestinians.

Israel called Mr Trump’s move “historic” but there has been sharp international criticism.

Mr Trump said the US still supported a two-state solution to the longstanding conflict, if approved by both sides, which would essentially see the creation of an independent Palestinian state living alongside Israel.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called Mr Trump’s announcement “deplorable”, saying the US could no longer be a peace broker.

Why is this significant?

The decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital puts the US at odds with the rest of the international community’s view on Jerusalem’s status.

The Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state, and according to the 1993 Israel-Palestinian peace accords, its final status is meant to be discussed in the latter stages of peace talks.

Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem has never been recognised internationally, and until now all countries have maintained their embassies in Tel Aviv.

Jerusalem contains sites sacred to the three major monotheistic faiths – Judaism, Islam and Christianity.

East Jerusalem, which includes the Old City, was annexed by Israel after the Six Day War of 1967, but is not internationally recognised as part of Israel.

What did Trump say?

Speaking at the White House, the US president said he had “judged this course of action to be in the best interests of the United States of America, and the pursuit of peace between Israel and the Palestinians”.

He said he was directing the US state department to begin preparations to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Despite warnings of regional unrest over any such move, the decision fulfils a campaign promise and appeals to Mr Trump’s right-wing base.

“Today, I am delivering,” the US leader said, referencing the campaign pledge.

Recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital was “nothing more or less than a recognition of reality”, he added. “It is also the right thing to do.”

The Republican Jewish Coalition have already thanked the president in a New York Times ad. The group is backed by Republican and Trump campaign mega-donor Sheldon Adelson.

Domestically motivated

Analysis, by Barbara Plett-Usher, BBC News, Washington

The president emphasised several times that he was delivering on a campaign promise, signalling that domestic politics was largely what motivated this controversial decision.

The announcement would have made more sense as part of a peace plan, but the White House is still drafting one. So the president spent much of the speech pushing back against criticism that he was prejudging his own peace initiative.

He insisted that the US was still deeply committed to facilitating a deal acceptable to both sides, and was not taking a position on the final status of the holy city.
That seemed to imply the Palestinian claim to occupied East Jerusalem would still be on the table in any negotiations. But his argument would have been more convincing to them if he had spelled that out, and if he had clearly stated that the end goal was two states.

Instead he said the US would support such a solution if agreed to by both sides – not the unequivocal endorsement the Palestinians were looking for. He didn’t offer the Palestinians anything, and the speech came across as an endorsement of Israel.

What do Israel and the Palestinians say?

In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was a historic day, and Israel was profoundly grateful to President Trump.

“Jerusalem has been the focus of our hopes, our dreams, our prayers for three millennia,” he tweeted.

Mr Abbas, the Palestinian leader, said in a pre-recorded TV speech that the city was the “eternal capital of the state of Palestine”.

He earlier warned of “dangerous consequences” through a spokesman, a sentiment echoed by other Arab leaders, who said there could be unrest.

There were demonstrations in Gaza against the decision before it was announced in response to a call from the Islamist Hamas movement that runs the Gaza strip, local pro-Hamas media reported.

Hamas said that Mr Trump’s decision would “open the doors of hell” on US interests in the region.

What does the rest of the world say?

The US decision comes despite vocal opposition in the Muslim world, even among US allies.

On Tuesday Saudi Arabia’s King Salman had said that the move “would constitute a flagrant provocation of Muslims, all over the world”.

Demonstrations have already taken place in Gaza and outside the US consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said it was “a moment of great anxiety”.

“There is no alternative to the two-state solution. There is no Plan B,” he said.

In other reaction:

Prime Minister Theresa May said she disagreed with the US decision, which was “unhelpful in terms of prospects for peace in the region”.

French President Emmanuel Macron said France did not support the move and called for calm.

EU chief diplomat Federica Mogherini voiced “serious concern”.
–
By: BBC

The post Jerusalem is Israel’s capital, says Donald Trump appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.