Controversy Over Jerusalem As Israel’s Capital: Speaker Parries Accusations

Speaker of Parliament, Right Honourable Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye, has responded to assertions that he tacitly supports the by declaration of America’s President, Donald Trump, recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Contrary to what is being bandied about, this paper learnt the Right Honorable Speaker, who is also a minister of the gospel, only acknowledged Israel as having profound impact on his faith as it had traces of history that, according to him, confirmed the source of his faith as not fictional.

He also said he was pleased to be part of the Knesset for the reason that had become necessary for regular interactions to help deal with numerous challenges confronting humanity.

“Israel should also be willing to share with the world, especially, the developing world of your enormous experience in security and, particularly, in dealing with cyber -crime. Israeli companies should also be willing to invest in the economies of the developing world with the possibility of technology transfer to help deal with the inequalities in the world while promoting inclusiveness in global development’’, he noted.

Excerpts from statements read by the Speaker stated that as part of his remarks, he touched on the imperative inclusiveness of Sustainable Development Goals necessitating both local and international synergies and collaborations for cross-fertilization of ideas and global development for both current and future populations.

Rt. Hon. Mike Ocquaye also spoke on the Global Economic situation between African countries, stressing on the recognition that countries and institutions cannot individually solve the myriad of challenges that confront the world in contemporary times given their complexities.

“The issues of terrorism, crimes of various proportions including cyber- crimes, wars and the threat of wars continue to threaten the very survival of humanity and matter in general.  The causes of these challenges are varied and many but we need to collectively isolate them and deal with them distinctively to successfully eliminate them or to reduce their effects on humanity. One of the very basic causes of the problems of our generation is the extent of inequalities that have been orchestrated by colonization which, unfortunately, continue to be perpetrated by the WTO under the new world economic order. The very value systems of whole populations have been altered by colonization and so have the structures of their economies making the once colonized countries to be hewers of wood and drawers of water to feed western industrial concerns without any value addition’’, he explained.

At the Knesset, attended by Five African Speakers of Parliament and their delegations, the Honorable Speaker also bemoaned how it had failed to recognize the facts underpinning the very challenges that confronted humanity but which were humanly caused.

He said the new world economic order which dictated unbridled competition on global trade had complicated matters.

“In the global efforts to boost trade and cooperation, the wealthy and influential nations still influence the WTO to introduce measures that undermine the quest of industrialization on the part of the poor countries which could prop them up from marginalization and all the associated problems and make them effective players of world trade for the benefit of all’’, he noted.