Ghana has dealt a humiliating snub to the United States by decisively backing a United Nations resolution effectively calling on Donald Trump to withdraw his recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Ghana, a longtime recipient of USA aid, defied threats from President Donald Trump that he would cut financial aid to those countries who backed the resolution.

Many had feared that Ghana would bow to threats of the U.S. as the country could be denied of key aid to support the ailing economy.

However, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo was not cowed by the threat as Ghana voted in line with the country's long standing policy of supporting Palestine and the injustice against the country.

Ghana votes ensured that the non-binding resolution was approved by 128 states, with 35 abstaining and nine others voting against.

The decision will test the resolve of Trump on Ghana even though several American companies also do business in the West African country.

The United Nations general assembly delivered the stinging rebuke to Donald Trump, voting by a huge majority to reject his unilateral recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

The vote came after a redoubling of threats by Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN, who said that Washington would remember which countries “disrespected” America by voting against it.

Despite the warning, 128 members voted on Thursday in favour of the resolution supporting the longstanding international consensus that the status of Jerusalem – which is claimed as a capital by both Israeland the Palestinians – can only be settled as an agreed final issue in a peace deal. Countries which voted for the resolution included major recipients of US aid such as Egypt, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Although largely symbolic, the vote in emergency session of the world body had been the focus of days of furious diplomacy by both the Trump administration and Israel, including Trump’s threat to cut US funding to countries that did not back the US recognition.

But only nine states – including the United States and Israel –voted against the resolution. The other countries which supported Washington were Togo, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Marshall Islands, Guatemala and Honduras.

Twenty-two of the 28 EU countries voted for the resolution, including the UK and France. Germany – which in the past has abstained on measures relating to Israel – also voted in favour.

Thirty-five countries abstained, including five EU states, and other US allies including Australia, Canada, Colombia and Mexico. Ambassadors from several abstaining countries, including Mexico, used their time on the podium to criticise Trump’s unilateral move.

Another 21 delegations were absent from the vote, suggesting the Trump’s warning over funding cuts and Israel’s lobbying may have had some effect.

While support for the resolution was somewhat less than Palestinian officials had hoped, the meagre tally of just nine votes in support of the US and Israeli position was a serious diplomatic blow for Trump.

Source: ghanaguardian.com