Akufo-Addo must recall Ghana's envoy to Israel - MP

National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament, Ras Mubarak, has urged Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo to recall his envoy to Israel in the wake of Israel's killing of 60 Palestinian protesters, and the United States moving its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem last week.

Speaking at a recent press conference at the Palestine embassy in Accra, the Kumbungu Constituency MP said that the US showed “bad faith” in deciding to switch its embassy when the matter is still on the table of the United Nations (UN) for deliberations.

According to Mubarak, Akufo-Addo must join countries such as South Africa, Turkey and Ireland that have recalled their envoys, after Israel’s recent massacre of 60 unarmed Palestinian protesters at the Israel-Gaza buffer zone. Protesters were demanding an end to the Israeli siege of the Gaza Strip and the right to return to land that they were expelled from in 1948 during the violent creation of Israel. The May 14 bloodbath has been compared to the 1960 Sharpeville massacre that took place in apartheid South Africa where 69 peaceful protesters were shot by apartheid security forces.

“Israel deserves to be isolated and boycotted”

In an interview with the Afro-Palestine Newswire Service, Mubarak strongly condemned the recent behaviour of the Israeli regime and its violent suppression of legitimate protests by the people of the besieged Gaza Strip.

“Any country which flouts international law with such increasing regularity and maintains a brutal military occupation is a rogue state. Israel deserves to be isolated and boycotted immediately. The time to act is now. It is inconceivable that Ghana - one of Africa’s first nations to gain independence - continues to have relations with Israel, a modern-day settler-colonial power,” Mubarak said.

“Ghana is committed to Palestine”

Mubarak - who was recently denied entry into the Occupied Palestinian Territories by the Israeli regime - praised the Ghanaian government for boycotting the invitation to attend the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem. He was also proud of Ghana’s voting record at the UN when it came to Palestine. “I am proud that my country was on the right side of history in December’s vote against the US and Israel,” Mubarak said. He was referring to a UN General Assembly vote where Ghana was one of 128 countries that voted resoundingly against a resolution to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

According to Mubarak, “Ghana is undoubtedly committed towards the cause of the Palestinian people,” citing the Ghanaian government’s vote in favour of all four key issues on the rights of Palestinians at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in March.

“Ghanaian Members of Parliament and other progressive voices will continue to stand with Palestine, and will continue to strive and fight for justice for the Palestinian people”, Mubarak declared.