Israel Refused To Let Ghanaian MP Ras Mubarak Into Palestine

Ghanaian Member of Parliament Ras Mubarak was denied entry into the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) by Israel. Mubarak was invited to speak at the International Conference on Jerusalem in Ramallah which commenced on 11 April. Israeli authorities had issued a permit for Mubarak to enter the OPT but later refused him entry and cancelled his valid permit, Mubarak said. As the occupying power, Israel controls access to the OPT which comprises the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. Other international politicians who were refused entry include South African MP Blaze Nzimande in April 2015 and the associate general secretary of the World Council of Churches Dr Isabel Apawo Phiri of Malawi in December 2016. Earlier this month, Israel announced it would deny entry to Irish mayor Mícheál Mac Donncha over his ties to Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS) but spelt his name wrong and mistakenly admitted him through the border. The Daily Vox spoke to Mubarak while he was at the border.

The 9th International Jerusalem Conference organised by the Palestinian Authority is taking place and I have been invited as a delegate and a speaker at that conference. I’ve been an activist for quite a while and I guess I was invited because of my tireless advocacy for the rights of Palestinians. I was shocked when this invitation came because I didn’t know Israel would have to authorise my entry into Palestinian-controlled territories.

The Israelis have a history of harassing Palestinians and friends of Palestine. If we get in, we’re lucky and if we don’t, we’re not surprised. Even though I hold a diplomatic passport, clearly they have no respect for international protocols. They have consistently sought to intimidate, harass, and deny people entry just so they can have first-hand insight into and control over what is happening. It’s disappointing that the recent events in Gaza did not evoke international outrage and condemnation – and international sanctions. It seems there’s one rule for everybody else and another rule for everyone else.

Ghana believes that the Palestinians have the right to live peacefully in their country. The position of my country is that the two state solution is possible. Even with our voting in the United Nations, we have been very consistent. We have always voted in support of Palestine and recently over a month ago at the UN Human Rights Council, Ghana voted on all the four issues of rights in support of the Palestinians. As far as our support is concerned, it is unflinching and has transcended administrations. We have had governments that are left of centre and right of centre and consistently from the 50s when we obtained our independence, we have always stood shoulder to shoulder with the Palestinians.

At the heart of this is the indifference by the world. I have to commend South Africa for the position it has taken consistently albeit it not being surprising considering South Africa’s history of apartheid. I led and organised a march in Accra for the Palestinians and I was the only sitting member of parliament who was bold enough to call Israel by what it is and express condemnation. We don’t seem to have people who are courageous in Africa – the Steve Bikos, the Mandelas, the Govan Mbekis. Africa would have to be resolute in its support of the cause of the Palestinian people. I get so disappointed when one or two African countries abstain from voting in the UN. But I’m also encouraged by the growing number of young African activists who are appalled and sickened by the treatment of the Palestinian people whether in Kenya or South Africa or wherever.

If there’s any group of people that should be concerned with the issues of the people of Palestine, there’s no better group of people than the African people. African people themselves have been through subjugation through slavery, neo-colonisation, and the rest of it. We better understand the pains and the perils of occupation if we allow it to continue without raising our voices. It’s exceedingly important for Africans that we continue to express our disquiet at the inhuman treatment of our brothers and sisters. Injustice in any part of the world is injustice against humanity. As citizens of the world we have a moral responsibility to raise these issues. It’s quite tragic that the world keeps looking on while these things go on. It’s a scar on the conscience of all the leaders in the world. The least I can do as an African is to raise my voice on the floor of parliament and outside the floor of parliament.

Mubarak addressed the conference via teleconference from Jordan.

You can read his full speech here.

The post Israel Refused To Let Ghanaian MP Ras Mubarak Into Palestine appeared first on The Daily Vox.

Do you have something awesome to share with the world? Click here to share

Do you ever have any question about anything you wish to ask and get answer? Click here to ask

Also, Like us on facebook

This post was syndicated from The Daily Vox. Click here to read the full text on the original website.</s>A number of international religious figures and politicians, including a Ghanaian legislator, have been denied entry by Israel after they were set to attend a conference in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah.

The 9th International Conference on the Holy City of Jerusalem kicked off on Wednesday, but there was a glaring absence of attendees, including a 13-member Indian delegation, a mufti from Sri Lanka, a Bosnian Muslim scholar, and the head of Australia's Islamic Council.

Ras Mubarak, the Ghana MP, was due to deliver a speech at the conference but was turned away twice at the Allenby border crossing.

"I arrived on Tuesday but was denied entry and told to return this morning only to receive the same harassment and be denied entry once again," Mubarak told Al Jazeera, adding that he was honouring an invitation by the Palestinian Authority to speak at the conference.

"The Israelis asked me what I was going to do in Palestine," he continued. "They had given me permission to enter, and then they revoked this authorisation.

"They didn't give me any reasons for denying me entry."

Mubarak, a member of the National Democratic Congress party, said the Israelis turned away two buses of people, including academics and Muslim scholars, who had arrived at the border.

Mubarak described the ordeal at the border as "unfortunate, but not surprising".

"It is not the first time they have prevented a politician or activist from entering the West Bank," he said. "It is part of an attempt to harass friends of Palestine.

"It is incumbent upon all of us to show solidarity at the African Union and UN level to ensure that this doesn't keep happening."

'There is no Palestine'

Ami Mehl, Israeli ambassador to Ghana, told Ghana's Starr News radio that Mubarak's claims of being denied entry for no reason were "just not true".

"He came without a visa to the border, [and] was asked to wait," Mehl told radio host Naa Dedei Tettey.

"I was in the middle of a conversation with Israeli authorities about his case and when I was notified he had decided to turn back and go back to his hotel in Jordan."

When Tettey mentioned that Mubarak said he had Israeli clearance to visit the West Bank, Mehl said that was a "complete lie".

Mehl then lost his cool after Tettey quoted Mubarak as saying he had permission from Israel to enter the OPT (Occupied Palestinian Territories).

"If you want to talk to me, you will use the terminology I use," he shouted. "There is no OPT; there is no Palestine, there was never a Palestine. It is Israel."

"It's bullsh**, it's propaganda," the Israeli ambassador went on. "[Mubarak] came to Israel without a visa. He is a propaganda machine for the Palestinians, so we do not take him seriously".

Travel permits revoked

Mahmoud Hamad, who is responsible for receiving the conference's guest delegations after they cross the Allenby border, told Al Jazeera that all the participants were issued Israeli travel permits to enter the West Bank.

"Sixty-five internationals flew into Amman airport carrying travel permits from Israeli authorities," Hamad said. "These permits were revoked upon their arrival to Allenby border.

"They came from all over the world: Australia, Mozambique, Guatemala, UK, Nigeria, Bulgaria, Ghana, South Africa, Sweden, Italy, Sri Lanka, Zambia.

"The Israeli border authorities told them all that as participants of the 9th International Conference on Jerusalem, they cannot enter."

Arrangements, including accommodation, were made for the invitees in Amman instead, and they participated in the conference through satellite video.

Jerusalem cause 'alive and well'

The first conference was held in 1931 by Jerusalem's Mufti Hajj Amin Husseini to counter the British Mandate policies affecting the status of Jerusalem.

The second conference was held in 2011, and has been hosted annually since then, with invitations extended to numerous delegations, mostly from across the Arab and Muslim world, "to discuss the importance Jerusalem holds among the three Abrahamic religions in the face of Israel's intransigence and occupation".

Khalil Karajeh, a member of the conference's preparatory committee, said this year's conference was under the theme of "Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine".

"It was a challenge to US President Donald Trump's decision to recognise the city as Israel's capital," Karajeh told Al Jazeera.

"The conference is a message to the world that the Jerusalem cause is alive and well in the hearts of people."

Karajeh said "a lot of our Muslim brothers, especially the Turkish people, feel that visiting Jerusalem is obligatory since it holds Islam's third holiest site," referring to al-Aqsa Mosque.

For Ras Mubarak, it was his first attempt to visit the West Bank. He confirmed that he would file a complaint with the Ghanaian parliament.

"What happened is unacceptable," he said. "Israel is erroneously described as the only democracy in the Middle East, but when I see the gross violation of the rights of Palestinians and friends of Palestine, there is no way it can be described as so.

"If Israel wants its citizens to be treated with respect and dignity, it must reciprocate."

Additional reporting by Arwa Ibrahim

Follow Linah Alsaafin at @LinahAlsaafin</s>Israel Refused To Let Ghanaian MP Ras Mubarak Into Palestine

Ghanaian Member of Parliament Ras Mubarak was denied entry into the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) by Israel. Mubarak was invited to speak at the International Conference on Jerusalem in Ramallah which commenced on 11 April. Israeli authorities had issued a permit for Mubarak to enter the OPT but later refused him entry and cancelled his valid permit, Mubarak said. As the occupying power, Israel controls access to the OPT which comprises the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. Other international politicians who were refused entry include South African MP Blaze Nzimande in April 2015 and the associate general secretary of the World Council of Churches Dr Isabel Apawo Phiri of Malawi in December 2016. Earlier this month, Israel announced it would deny entry to Irish mayor Mícheál Mac Donncha over his ties to Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS) but spelt his name wrong and mistakenly admitted him through the border. The Daily Vox spoke to Mubarak while he was at the border.

The 9th International Jerusalem Conference organised by the Palestinian Authority is taking place and I have been invited as a delegate and a speaker at that conference. I’ve been an activist for quite a while and I guess I was invited because of my tireless advocacy for the rights of Palestinians. I was shocked when this invitation came because I didn’t know Israel would have to authorise my entry into Palestinian-controlled territories.

The Israelis have a history of harassing Palestinians and friends of Palestine. If we get in, we’re lucky and if we don’t, we’re not surprised. Even though I hold a diplomatic passport, clearly they have no respect for international protocols. They have consistently sought to intimidate, harass, and deny people entry just so they can have first-hand insight into and control over what is happening. It’s disappointing that the recent events in Gaza did not evoke international outrage and condemnation – and international sanctions. It seems there’s one rule for everybody else and another rule for everyone else.

Ghana believes that the Palestinians have the right to live peacefully in their country. The position of my country is that the two state solution is possible. Even with our voting in the United Nations, we have been very consistent. We have always voted in support of Palestine and recently over a month ago at the UN Human Rights Council, Ghana voted on all the four issues of rights in support of the Palestinians. As far as our support is concerned, it is unflinching and has transcended administrations. We have had governments that are left of centre and right of centre and consistently from the 50s when we obtained our independence, we have always stood shoulder to shoulder with the Palestinians.

At the heart of this is the indifference by the world. I have to commend South Africa for the position it has taken consistently albeit it not being surprising considering South Africa’s history of apartheid. I led and organised a march in Accra for the Palestinians and I was the only sitting member of parliament who was bold enough to call Israel by what it is and express condemnation. We don’t seem to have people who are courageous in Africa – the Steve Bikos, the Mandelas, the Govan Mbekis. Africa would have to be resolute in its support of the cause of the Palestinian people. I get so disappointed when one or two African countries abstain from voting in the UN. But I’m also encouraged by the growing number of young African activists who are appalled and sickened by the treatment of the Palestinian people whether in Kenya or South Africa or wherever.

If there’s any group of people that should be concerned with the issues of the people of Palestine, there’s no better group of people than the African people. African people themselves have been through subjugation through slavery, neo-colonisation, and the rest of it. We better understand the pains and the perils of occupation if we allow it to continue without raising our voices. It’s exceedingly important for Africans that we continue to express our disquiet at the inhuman treatment of our brothers and sisters. Injustice in any part of the world is injustice against humanity. As citizens of the world we have a moral responsibility to raise these issues. It’s quite tragic that the world keeps looking on while these things go on. It’s a scar on the conscience of all the leaders in the world. The least I can do as an African is to raise my voice on the floor of parliament and outside the floor of parliament.

Mubarak addressed the conference via teleconference from Jordan.

You can read his full speech here.

The post Israel Refused To Let Ghanaian MP Ras Mubarak Into Palestine appeared first on The Daily Vox.

Do you have something awesome to share with the world? Click here to share

Do you ever have any question about anything you wish to ask and get answer? Click here to ask

Also, Like us on facebook

This post was syndicated from The Daily Vox. Click here to read the full text on the original website.</s>Ras Mubarak has been denied entry into the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) by Israel.

The National Democratic Congress MP for Kumbungu was traveling under the aegis of the Palestinian Authority to present a paper in Ramallah.

“It is true and very unfortunate,” Mr. Mubarak told Starr News from Jordan.

The Ghanaian MP who had permit from Israel to carry out his assignment in Palestine through the Allenby Border Crossing was stopped at Jordan.

“When we got to the Jordanian border the Israelis said they won’t allow us to go to Palestine for this particular conference. I find it unfortunate, but I’m not surprised because it is part of a strategy to persecute Palestine and to harass friends of Palestine,” Mubarak stressed.

Israel as the occupying power, controls almost all access to the Occupied Palestinian Territories which comprises the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.

Mr. Mubarak, who has been outspoken against Israel’s occupation in Palestine, said he will not be deterred.

“However long it takes the oppressed Palestinian people [to] get justice…If they change their minds and allow me entry, I would say what I plan to say. If they don’t, I would say it anyway,” Mubarak later said in a Facebook post.

“Ghanaians will continue to support the cause of the Palestinian people,” Mubarak added.

“What is this rogue state [Israel] afraid of? The truth? That I would witness the occupation first hand and call them out for the terrorists they are?”

Mubarak is an active member of the Palestine solidarity movement in Ghana who recently led a pro-Palestine march in Accra. He joins a growing list of African parliamentarians and dignitaries who have been critical of Israel and then denied entry into the OPT by Israel.

In April 2015, South Africa’s Minister of Higher Education, Blade Nzimande, was denied entry into the OPT, while en-route to Ramallah to promote research collaboration between the University of Johannesburg and institutions in the OPT.

In December 2016, Associate General Secretary for the World Council of Churches (WCC), Dr. Isabel Apawo Phiri from Malawi, was banned from entering Israel after landing at Ben-Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. The Christian theologian was attending a WCC meeting in the holy city of Jerusalem. Phiri was the only African member in the WCC staff delegation and the only one who was denied entry to Israel.

 Israel’s anti-African discrimination and racism also extends to asylum-seekers, mainly from Sudan and Eritrea, who the Israeli state is seeking to illegally deport.

“The politics of discrimination and apartheid should have no place to thrive in the 21st century. Alas, it is happening. A state that’s erroneously described as the only democracy in the Middle East treats international law and conventions with contempt, flouts them with increasing regularity and maintains a brutal military occupation [of Palestine] while the whole world looks on,” Mubarak wrote.</s>Ghanaian Member of Parliament, Ras Mubarak, was been denied entry into the occupied Palestinian territories by Israel yesterday, according to the Afro-Palestinian Newswire service.

The National Democratic Congress MP from the northern region of Kumbungu had been invited by the Palestinian Authority (PA) to give a speech in Ramallah and had been issued a permit by the Israeli authorities prior to arriving at the Jordanian border.

However, upon reaching the Allenby Border Crossing, Mubarak was refused accesses into the occupied territories and was forced to return to Amman.

Mubarak has been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, and recently led a march in Accra against the US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

“A state that’s erroneously described as the only democracy in the middle east treats international law and conventions with contempt, flouts them with increasing regularity and maintains a brutal military occupation while the whole world looks on,” he wrote on Facebook.

Mubarak also now one of a growing list of African parliamentarians and dignitaries that have been denied entry to Israel due to their involvement in pro-Palestinian activism.</s>Ghanaian Member of Parliament, Ras Mubarak, was been denied entry into the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt) by Israel yesterday, according to the Afro-Palestinian Newswire service.

The National Democratic Congress MP from the northern region of Kumbungu had been invited by the Palestinian Authority (PA) to give a speech in Ramallah and had been issued a permit by the Israeli authorities prior to arriving at the Jordanian border. However, upon reaching the Allenby Border Crossing, Mubarak was refused accesses into the occupied territories and was forced to return to Amman.

In a post on Facebook, Mubarak condemned the decision and pledged to continue speaking up for the rights of the Palestinian people.

“What is this rogue state [Israel] afraid of? The truth? That I would witness the occupation first hand and call them out for the terrorists they are? The politics of discrimination and apartheid should have no place to thrive in the 21st century. Alas, it is happening,” he wrote.

“If they change their minds and allow me entry, I would say what I plan to say. If they don’t, I would say it anyway.”

“However how long it takes the oppressed Palestinian people would get Justice,” he added.

Mubarak has been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, and recently led a march in Accra against the US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

“A state that’s erroneously described as the only democracy in the middle east treats international law and conventions with contempt, flouts them with increasing regularity and maintains a brutal military occupation while the whole world looks on,” he wrote on Facebook.

Mubarak also now one of a growing list of African parliamentarians and dignitaries that have been denied entry to Israel due to their involvement in pro-Palestinian activism.

In April 2015, South Africa’s Minister of Higher Education, Blade Nzimande, was denied entry on route to Ramallah, where he was expected to facilitate research collaboration between the University of Johannesburg and Palestinian academics.

In December 2016, Associate General Secretary for the World Council of Churches (WCC), Dr Isabel Apawo Phiri from Malawi, was also banned; she was the sole African member of the delegation that was due to meet in Jerusalem, and the only one refused entry.</s>The Member of Parliament (MP) for the Kumbungu Constituency, Ras Mubarak, has said that he has been denied entry into Palestine by Israeli authorities.

In a Facebook post, the NDC MP said he was invited by the Palestinian Authority to give a speech in Ramallah.

“I was invited by the Palestinian Authority to give a speech in Ramallah. Israel issues a permit for me to go into Palestine. Just when I arrive at the border they won't allow me to enter Palestine.”

His post showed how unhappy he was about the treatment.

The MP who has been vocal against Israel’s occupation in Palestine, and recently led a Palestinian Solidarity Campaign in Ghana in protest of the United States’ recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

He asked if the Israelis are afraid of the truth and wondered why he will be denied entry after granting him the permit.

“What is this rogue state [Israel] afraid of? The truth? That I would witness the occupation first hand and call them out for the terrorists they are? The politics of discrimination and apartheid should have no place to thrive in the 21st century.”

“…If they change their minds and allow me entry, I would say what I plan to say. If they don’t, I would say it anyway. However how long it takes the oppressed Palestinian people would get Justice,” he added.

READ ALSO: Oil funded projects in three Northern Regions do not exist – PIAC

Ras Mubarak joins a growing number of African parliamentarians and dignitaries who have been denied entry into the OPT by Israel.

In April 2015, South Africa’s Minister of Higher Education, Blade Nzimande, was denied entry into the OPT, while en-route to Ramallah to promote research collaboration between the University of Johannesburg and institutions in the OPT.

Israelis and Arabs have been fighting over Gaza on and off, for decades. It’s part of the wider Arab Israeli conflict.</s>I have just returned from my first official visit to the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) and Israel.

I was pleased to meet Palestinians in East Jerusalem, Hebron, and Abu Nuwar Bedouin Community in Area C of the West Bank. I heard from human rights defenders about the impact of Israel’s occupation and saw the assistance that UK aid is providing to some of the most vulnerable in Palestinian society. I had a positive first meeting with Prime Minister Hamdallah to discuss these issues, the situation in Gaza and reaffirm the UK’s commitment to strengthening the UK-Palestinian Authority relationship. In my role as Minister for Human Rights, including the right to freedom of religion or belief, I met with the Palestinian Minister for Religious Affairs Youssef Ideiss, and hosted an interfaith roundtable.

In Israel, I was humbled to attend the State Opening Ceremony for Holocaust Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Day at Yad Vashem. I had constructive meetings with Israeli ministers Tzachi Hanegbi and Ayelet Shaked, re-affirming the UK’s commitment to our bilateral relationship with Israel, and raising our human rights concerns relating to the occupation, including the issue of Palestinian children in Israeli military detention. I also met with Israeli companies working on counter terrorism technologies, to discuss what more we can do together to prevent terrorist use of the internet.

I remain deeply concerned about the situation in Gaza, and in particular by the high number of Palestinian deaths in recent weeks. With the Palestinian leadership I reaffirmed the right of the Gazan people, as indeed all peoples, to protest peacefully. It is important to understand the role Hamas continues to play in fomenting the violence. The UK recognises that Israel has the right to protect its borders against Hamas and other terrorist groups but as I said to Israeli Ministers, they must show restraint and consider carefully its use of force in response to future protests.

In my engagement with both Israelis and Palestinians I stressed the importance of addressing the underlying causes of the economic and humanitarian situation, and in particular to improve movement and access for people and goods.

My visit illustrated the urgent need for progress towards a two-state solution, so that Israelis and Palestinians can finally live with the peace and dignity they deserve.</s>Hanna Issa, secretary-general of the Palestinian Authority‘s Muslim-Christian Committee said that more than 95 percent of Jerusalem had already been “Judaized” by Israel, and that “Greater Jerusalem” would alter the city’s identity and importance to Christians and Muslims.

The warning came during the 9th International Conference on the Holy City of Jerusalem on Wednesday, which kicked off in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah.

Speaking at the event, Youssef Edies, Palestinian minister of religious endowments, described Jerusalem as “the birthplace of religions”.

Israel occupied and annexed East Jerusalem in the aftermath of the June 1967 War, in a move that was never recognised by the international community.

Last Saturday, a United Nations envoy accused Israel of trying to block him and other diplomats from a pre-Easter “Holy Fire” ritual in the packed Jerusalem church Christians revere as the burial site of Jesus.

Robert Serry, the UN’s peace envoy to the Middle East, said in a statement that Israeli security officers had stopped him and a group of Palestinian worshippers and diplomats in a procession near the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, “claiming they had orders to that effect”.

Last month, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said church authorities had applied for around 600 permits for Palestinian Christians in Gaza to travel to Jerusalem to celebrate Easter, but none were granted.

Father Ibrahim Shomali, chancellor of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, said: “We have to have free access to the Holy Land, free access to our holy places.”
The 9th International Conference on the Holy City of Jerusalem begins, with Israel denying access to the Palestinian Authority-hosted conference to a number of foreign invitees including a party of thirteen Indians, two buses containing academics, and Ghanan MP Ras Mubarak. Israel's ambassador to Ghana denies ever issuing Mubarak with permission to enter the Occupied Palestinian Territories, calling Mubarak a "propaganda machine" and claims it's a "complete lie".