Jerusalem vote: Israeli Ambassador's statement 'insult' to Ghana – Mornah

The National Chairman of the People's National Convention (PNC), Bernard Mornah, has described as an insult, a press statement issued by Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, Ami Mehl, cautioning Ghana not to ever repeat voting against America's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, at the UN in the future.

Ghana was part of some 128 countries of the UN General Assembly that voted in favour of a resolution to impress on the US to withdraw its recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

The non-binding resolution had 35 countries abstaining and nine others voting against it.

A statement signed by Mr Mehl on Friday, Decemer 22, said: “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”.

However, Mr Mornah, who spoke in an interview with Class FM, said Israel reserves the right to express regret over the resolution but: “My greatest regret is the insult that the Israeli Ambassador, Ami Mehl had put on the people of Ghana and our president and what have you.

To describe Ghana’s position or our vote as ‘mistaken’ would mean that either the government of Ghana behind the scenes had given them the impression that ‘we will support you’ and when they got to the UN, [Ghana] government did contrary to what they might have informed the [Israeli] Ambassador here.

Otherwise, Ghana’s position cannot be adjudged as a mistake and let alone for them to say that Ghana should not male similar mistake should there be subsequent motions on matters like this.

“I feel that this is the greatest insult you can give to a nation and if I were President at this moment I’ll recall our ambassador to Israel and also sack the Ambassador of Israel,” he indicated.

Asked if such an action will not be too extreme, Mr Mornah responded: “Israel has decided to insult the integrity and the sovereignty of Ghana by telling us that our decision to cast vote against a motion that in their view is a mistake. How can you describe a sovereign nation’s decision as a mistake?”

For him, “if Ghana doesn’t have an Ambassador in Israel, the world will not come to an end. If we sack the Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, the world will not come to an end”.

Mr Mornah stated that the superiority complex by foreign countries need to end, and African leaders must rise up to counter such conducts.

“This kind of looking down upon us (Ghana) should stop. Nkrumah sacked the Ambassador to Ghana under de Gaulle when France decided that they were going to dictate for us. It is important to say that we are an independent nation and the fact that you give us some token in development aid does not mean that you should control our way of thinking,” he added.