The Israeli embassy in Ghana has spoken out about the country’s decision against voting on Ghana’s slavery resolution.
According to the Israeli embassy in Ghana, Ghana’s resolution for slavery to be declared the gravest crime against humanity diminishes other atrocities.
The Israeli embassy in Ghana stressed that the adoption of the Resolution risk diminishing the gravity of other atrocities, including the Jewish Holocaust by the Nazis, as well as other crimes that have caused immense human suffering.
In an official explanation shared on the Israeli embassy’s Facebook page on March 27, 2026, the Israeli embassy stated, “Adoption of the Resolution: Declaration of the Trafficking of Enslaved Africans and Racialised Chattel Enslavement of Africans as the Gravest Crime against Humanity”
Explanation of Vote by Israel
Israel wishes to thank Ghana for bringing forward this important resolution. We recognise the enduring legacy of the transatlantic slave trade and the enslavement of Africans. These are atrocities whose consequences continue to shape societies and demand acknowledgement and remembrance.
Israel has consistently supported initiatives that address the history and legacy of slavery. We approached this resolution in that same spirit, with a genuine desire to join consensus.
However, we regret that we are unable to support the resolution as adopted.
This is mainly because the resolution defines the trafficking and enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity.
While we fully recognize the unparalleled scale and cruelty of these crimes, we cannot accept language that effectively establishes a hierarchy among crimes against humanity.
Such formulations risk diminishing the gravity of other atrocities, including the Jewish Holocaust by the Nazis, as well as other crimes that have caused immense human suffering.
For this reason, Israel had to vote against the resolution. We did so with regret. Our opposition does not reflect a lack of recognition of the horrors of slavery or its legacy, but rather stems from principled concerns regarding the text as it stands.
We sincerely regret that adjustments were not made during the negotiation process that could have enabled broader support, including from Israel.
Israel remains committed to combating racism, preserving historical truth, and ensuring that all crimes against humanity are remembered and addressed without hierarchy or politicization”.
Meanwhile, President John Dramani Mahama has said the United Nations’ approval of a motion on slavery reparations is not the end, as it is only the beginning of the fight for justice on slave reparations.
John Dramani Mahama at the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, tabled a resolution calling on the UN to recognise the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade as the gravest crime ever committed against humanity.
Following a massive debate, the motion was adopted with 123 countries voting in favour of the slavery reparations motion tabled.
The United States, Argentina, and Israel voted against it, while 52 European Nations 52 abstained.
Speaking after the General Assembly session on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, President Mahama labelled the slavery reparations as a significant milestone.
President Mahama stressed that the outcome, while historic, must transform into sustained global action.
Speaking after the General Assembly session, Mahama stated, “This is not the end. This is the beginning. What we’ve achieved today creates a platform for the struggle for reparative justice”.
“We must take this success and begin to work so that those who denied our ancestors their humanity, those who denied our ancestors their dignity, can accept the truth that this is what happened,” he said.
He added, “Today we’ve accepted that this was a grave crime against humanity — the gravest indeed”.
“This victory is not for Ghana. We did it for the whole of Africa and all people of African descent. If we keep this coalition, we will take the next steps together,” he said.
“Today’s victory is to ensure that we do not forget, and will never forget. As long as this resolution has been passed, our ancestors will never, ever be forgotten,” he concluded.
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