In reaction to the United States declaration of its intention to move its Israeli embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in recognition of the city as the rightful and ancestral capital city of the world Jewry and the state of Israel, United Nations General Assembly convened an emergency seating on December 21, 2017. The UN claimed that the US declaration has a potential to breach the peace. This of course is not true. At least it should not be because the United States only affirmed an obviously well-known fact of history. Truth should never have the capacity to hurt anyone or breach the peace in a world that is honest, sincere and willing to achieve real peace and meaningful progress.

During the meeting of the Assembly an overwhelming majority voted to condemn United States’ recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s historical, spiritual, cultural and political capital city. Though 128 of UN’s 193 member states voted against the move by the US, that does not suddenly turn falsehood to truth. Just like might is not right, a mistaken majority does not become right simply by its superior number. It only clearly illustrates how a majority can deliberately choose to falsify and make a mockery of a three-thousand year history. It is a demonstration of how a prejudiced majority can, based on pure sentiments choose to cast their vote on the wrong side of history and falsehood. It is in view of this that we want to believe and affirm that a few on the side of truth becomes the majority.

Nigeria was among the 128 majority countries which voted against the United States and Israel in that ridiculous shameless effort to falsify history and sell the conscience of their citizens at the altar of sentiment, insincerity and dishonesty. Igbo people with a population of 50 million though compelled against their will are still a part of the Nigerian state. In the light of this fact therefore it has become necessary to state very clearly Igbo nation’s position in this controversial issue. As Igbo people we state in a no uncertain terms that the position assumed by Nigeria in the Jerusalem matter is merely the country’s official position which the Igbo nation does not in any way support or ascribe to. We condemn in strong terms this ridiculous attempt by the government of Nigeria to besmear and scandalise us as a people. Igbo people have always taken pride in standing and voting on the side of justice and truth. Therefore in this matter we stand with the United States, Israel and others who are courageous enough to stand on the right side of history, truth and justice.

In the interest of those who may wish to know our basis in supporting Israel and the few others who are on their side. Apart from several historical, archeological and traditional facts that justify our position in this matter, we recognise that Igbo story is in many ways similar to that of the Jews. It is therefore easy for us to identify with and support the Israelis position in this and other matters. 72 years ago European Jews suffered from genocide in which 6 million of them were murdered so brutally by the German Nazi regime. 47 years ago the Igbo suffered from genocide in which 3.1 million of them were similarly murdered by Nigerians and their government. In the same way that Jews are still suffering from undue persecution and hatred from their Arab neighbors the Igbo are still being unjustly persecuted, victimised and mistreated by Nigerians and their government. These similarities are quite numerous but we will not bore the reader with further details. But the point is that because we go through the same pains, we do understand where the Israeli shoe pinches.

In order to disabuse the minds of those who believe that the Jewish state of Israel is as recent as 1948, we will rely on history to argue against that point. Recorded history and other artifacts prove that the Jewish people have continuously inhabited that portion of the Earth for more than three thousand years, up to the present time. Truly, starting from about 70 AD the majority of Israelites were scattered from the land of Judea (Palestine) including Jerusalem by the Romans who colonised the region but there had never been a time in history till 1948, when the Israelis reestablished their sovereignty over this their ancestral homeland, that there was a zero remnants of the people of Israel from Jerusalem and other surrounding areas. There has always been a considerable remnant of the Jewish people in the land of Palestine throughout history. The Jews are therefore as Palestinian (Roman terminology for the land) as any other group of people who are resident in that part of the world. So, it is indeed dishonest as it has become the practice in the recent time to attach the term Palestinians to one particular group of people specifically. It is indisputable to assert that the practice is concocted and calculated to deceive and mislead a world that is increasingly becoming very gullible and sentimental. In our opinion we believe that correcting the deliberate misuse of terms in this matter will go a long way in solving some of the disputed issues.

That the Jews at certain times were minorities in Jerusalem due to the exigencies of war and other catastrophes does not justify the acts of those who sentimentally deny the Jewish eternal right to Jerusalem as a bona fide part of their ancestral homeland in Judea and Samaria. Most of all is the fact that the Jews as a people have always left relics, structures and monuments that indelibly imprint their physical connection and attachment to this contested piece of real estate. These incontestable historical artifacts go very far to justify and prove Jewish rightful claim and ownership of Jerusalem and all the other parts being claimed or disputed by the other people. We believe that lies, foolishness, ridiculous dishonesty and utterly mischievousness as blatantly displayed by a majority of the member states of the United Nations are acts that do not promote world peace and meaningful advancement. In a world that will be progressive and peaceful, one honest and sincere vote that is based on truth and justice will always worth much more than those of the sentimentally mischievous majority.

The Jewish people have had an unbroken connection and possession of Jerusalem that dates back into antiquity. And for a majority to choose to dishonestly deny this truth shows a world that is not willing to tell the truth but is probably bent on self-destruction. Lies, dishonesty and injustices destroy civilisations and all other superstructures and achievement. With this recent display of blatant disregard for truth and justice by a significant part of the world we the Igbo along with several others are concerned about the future of humanity and humanity’s collective wealth – the current human civilisation.

Having suffered so much injustices and dishonest mistreatments in the hands of Nigerian government and its people we, Igbo people are serious about the negative repercussions of these kinds of acts by a majority of the world peoples against the people of United States and Israel and will not be a part of that injustice. We acknowledge the fact that history, truth and justice is on the side of the state of Israel and its people as being the bona fide owners of the City of David (Jerusalem) and all the other lands being contested by the Arabs. As a people the Igbo uphold the sacredness of truth (ezi okwu) and justice (ofor.) Though still forced against our will to be a part of the Nigerian state, we the Igbo totally reject any part in the collusion to do wrong by a majority which Nigeria willingly joined to unjustly contest the right of the Jewish people to any part of their ancestral heritage in Jerusalem or elsewhere. We stand with Israel and the United States.

•Osita Ebiem can be reached via ositaebiem@yahoo.com

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