SOO MAAL Posted June 25, 2006 Ghana apologises to Arab nations over Israel flag at W.Cup Thu Jun 22, 2006 6:14 PM GMT Printer Friendly Top News S.African minibus crash kills 14 schoolteachers Germany tells Iran: stop enrichment and we can talk Benin parliament votes itself extra year in office Somali Islamist chief says will find cameraman's killer Chad rebels call congress to name leadership MORE ACCRA (Reuters) - Ghana's foreign minister has apologised to ambassadors from Arab nations after a Ghanaian soccer player triggered a diplomatic bust-up by raising the Israeli flag to celebrate a World Cup victory. Defender John Paintsil, who plays his club football in Israel with Hapoel Tel Aviv, waved a small blue and white Israeli flag after Ghana's 2-0 win over Czech Republic last Saturday, provoking anger from Arab states. Libyan authorities summoned Ghana's Ambassador in Tripoli earlier this week to express their indignation over the incident, Ghana's Foreign Minister Nana Addo Akufo-Addo said. But he said Paintsil had no ill intent, and his actions were not officially sanctioned. "The incident was the act of an individual, who was completely ignorant of its political and diplomatic implications, and clearly had no official support," Akufo-Addo told Reuters on Thursday. Akufo-Addo on Wednesday met ambassadors from the Palestinian Authority, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Algeria and Morocco and apologised to them, he said. "The government of Ghana deeply regrets this act by one of our citizens," Akufo-Addo said. "Ghana has not drifted from its even-handed diplomacy in the Arab-Israeli conflict and we hope that this incident will not affect our relations with our Arab brothers and sisters," he said, adding he believed the explanation was taken in good faith. Ghana's Football Association apologised on Monday for Paintsil's conduct and the Arab League said on Wednesday it had received an official apology from Ghana over the incident. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Naden Posted June 25, 2006 Was watching the game and completely stunned. LMAO! Just imagined the Arab crowds, their blood boiling and hair pulled out of its roots . What a foolish thing to do! Why not raise the national flag after such a performance? Strange, indeed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Xoogsade Posted June 25, 2006 The relationship between Ghana and Israel goes deeper. The guy who waved the flag could have been one of the Jews of Ghana simply expressing his loyalty to where he belongs in truth than where he was born and raised(Ghana). Jews of Ghana The few people I met from Ghana who didn't claim to be jewish descendants were pro-israel as well. One of them who worked with us was so fanatic he made a mission out of discussing islam negatively and loudly with somalis who were nervous to argue with him in a public forum. This was back around 2001. One thing common about those whom I met were them being evangelical christians who went to school in Israel through scholarships and got their degrees from there. It is no laughing matter but it makes me smile when I recall the looks back then on the faces of my fellow somalis which said at the time alot about what it meant to be nervous, taken advantage of and humiliated. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Som@li Posted June 25, 2006 I was watching the game with large number of arab crowds, specially Palastinians, all shouting and cheering for Ghana, until this idiott waved the Isreali flag, some of the arabs got angry, and left the match. It was ****** thing to do, why show so much loyality to another country,specially Israel.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ElPunto Posted June 26, 2006 ^I don't get it. This man does not represent the Ghanaian government nor does he speak for Ghana's foreign policy. I admit it was a little strange for him to be waving the Israeli flag but summoning ambassadors and protests from Arab govts is ridiculous. I wonder if tbe Israeli gov't would've reacted like this if he waved the Libyan flag or some such. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ElPunto Posted June 26, 2006 ^BTW Ghana hardly needs the 'cheering' of Palestinaians or other Arabs. Whatever Africans have been able to do - they've always done on their own with little help from their Arab 'brothers'. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Som@li Posted June 26, 2006 Originally posted by ThePoint: ^BTW Ghana hardly needs the 'cheering' of Palestinaians or other Arabs. Whatever Africans have been able to do - they've always done on their own with little help from their Arab 'brothers'. Yes, Ghanian team may not need the Arabs, cheering for them, but the Chanian government and people need the arabs, in terms of business, trade,tourism, etc...that player has upsetted many arabs, and he ws representing Ghana ,you got the Point. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ElPunto Posted June 26, 2006 ^Ghana has no particular need for Arab business, trade or tourism. All of those items have mutual benefits - ppl don't trade, do business or visit Ghana as a matter of preference - they do it because they see mutual benefit in it. That football player represents Ghana in a very limited sense - as an athlete. He does not represent the Ghanaian government or its foreign policy. For that matter, he does not represent the Ghanian people - his was an individual act. Just like the guy who shot the Swedish camera man doesn't 'represent' Somalis. Do you get the point? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ElPunto Posted June 26, 2006 ^Also - please do tell about the statistics on Arab trade, business and tourism with Ghana. It is neglible in my opinion. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Naden Posted June 26, 2006 I'm with ThePoint on this one. Israel seems to have beat the Arabs in connecting and trading with African countries the continent over and have been doing so since the birth of the Jewish state. The Arab world's deliberate policy since Abdel Nasser has been spotty save for the odd Lebanese businessman trading in everything from arms to bicycles? There is a hint of racism in the reaction of some segments of the Arab society in response to this isolated act of foolishness. Browsing through some Arabic sites, I was shocked by the frequent use of Al-Mutanabi's verse "Don't buy the slave without his stick" in response to the actions of the 2 players. If the Israeli flag is so offensive to the psyche of the Arab world, why does it fly in a number of capitals? I do sympathesize with the disappointment of the average Arab cheering for Ghana as a partially Muslim country emerging to the pride of Africans and '3rd' world people. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Maf Kees Posted June 26, 2006 Dumb move by Paintsil. At best he tried to lenghten his stay at Hapoel Tel Aviv with this gesture. But that would probably be giving him to much credit. That flagwaving irritated me because he was spoiling the 'African victory' with that zionist flag that doesn't have anything to do with the amazing Ghanaian performance. Not because of the political sensitivities surrounding it. Its clear for all that the Arabs aren't upset as muslims but as ethnic Arabs, so I don't really sympathise with them. I was watching it with a large crowd of Somali guys. From this wonderful Pan African feeling everybody had to "war waa iska adoon, kheyr ma leh" and "jareerta waxay horumar uu gaari waayeen waa kaas, waa daciifnimadaan". Very sad. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ElPunto Posted June 26, 2006 ^I get that sorta reaction. It makes sense. But I have to cringe at Somalis' use of 'adoon' and 'jareer' - don't they find the least bit of irony that they were cheering for these so called 'adoon' and 'jareer'. Few peoples are as hypocritical and nasty as Somalis with regard to others. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ElPunto Posted June 26, 2006 Originally posted by Naden: I'm with ThePoint on this one. Israel seems to have beat the Arabs in connecting and trading with African countries the continent over and have been doing so since the birth of the Jewish state. The Arab world's deliberate policy since Abdel Nasser has been spotty save for the odd Lebanese businessman trading in everything from arms to bicycles? There is a hint of racism in the reaction of some segments of the Arab society in response to this isolated act of foolishness. Browsing through some Arabic sites, I was shocked by the frequent use of Al-Mutanabi's verse "Don't buy the slave without his stick" in response to the actions of the 2 players. If the Israeli flag is so offensive to the psyche of the Arab world, why does it fly in a number of capitals? I do sympathesize with the disappointment of the average Arab cheering for Ghana as a partially Muslim country emerging to the pride of Africans and '3rd' world people. Yes - it's that Arab hypersensitivity to anything remotely related to Israel which belies an inferiority complex. I could better understand the Arab reaction if they had been very close allies with Ghana and Ghana was solidly in the Muslim camp rather than at the periphery. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Som@li Posted June 26, 2006 The whole deal is a player trying to get attention from Isrealis, and maybe looking for a raise. Anyway, the the Ghanaian Football Association aslo made public apology.>>>GFA-Apology Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ElPunto Posted June 26, 2006 ^If I was the Ghanaian govt or FA - I certainly would not have apologized. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
