Akufo-Addo must resist Israel’s 'dictatorship' – JB Danquah

Joseph Boakye Danquah has accused Israel’s Ambassador to Ghana of undermining Ghana’s sovereignty and assailed as “undemocratic” Israel’s decision to deter Ghana after voting against US President, Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

H.E Ami Mehl shortly after the voting at the Special United Nation’s (UN) General Assembly sitting last week said in a statement, “Israel 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.”

“Israel is hopeful that Ghana will not repeat such mistake in subsequent motions before the General Assembly,” the statement stressed.

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.

In an exclusive interview with this reporter, the former parliamentary aspirant at the Subin Constituency insisted there was no logic in Israel’s position, as Ghana acted as full-fledged sovereign state with international recognition.

According to JB Danquah, Israel’s decision to use “unorthodox means” to tie the hands of Ghana on the Palestinian peace process defeats its own argument that, as an independent state, it doesn’t require a UN resolution to choose Jerusalem as its capital or not.

“So if Israel believes that a sovereign state they don’t require any resolution from the UN or any international body to recognise Jerusalem as its capital or not, then Israel hasn’t gotten any locus in the same vein to tell us what to do.

“It is a clear attempt to dictate to us and that is an affront on our sovereignty as a nation and must be pushed back by government in the strongest terms possible,” he said.

Against that backdrop, he urged the Akufo-Addo-led administration to firmly resist any repulsive attempts by Israel and other international organisations to undermine Ghana’s sovereignty.

Countries such as Nigeria, Congo, Ivory Coast, Namibia, Mali, and Zimbabwe also voted against the US’ position.