Ghana has deported three Israeli nationals who arrived in Accra on Wednesday, in what officials describe as a direct response to the alleged mistreatment of Ghanaian travellers at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel.
Seven Ghanaians, including four members of an official delegation attending a cyber security conference in Tel Aviv, were reportedly detained without explanation upon arrival. They were released after five hours, while three others were deported. Ghana condemned what it called “humiliating treatment”.
Ghana’s foreign ministry said a senior diplomat from Israel’s embassy in Accra had been summoned and that both governments had agreed to address the dispute through dialogue. The Israeli embassy has not yet commented.
The ministry said Ghana and Israel have long maintained friendly ties, describing the alleged treatment of Ghanaian travellers as inconsistent with that history. It added that Ghana expected its nationals to be treated “with dignity and respect” just as other governments expect Ghana to treat their citizens.
According to Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Israel claimed the three Ghanaians were deported because Accra had not cooperated with attempts to remove a separate group of Ghanaian nationals. Ghana responded by expelling the three Israelis “in clear retaliation”, he told the Newsday programme.
“We want to send a clear message that we will not tolerate any inhumane treatment of our nationals,” he said. Ablakwa added that Israel had requested help deporting six individuals, although one was Gabonese, one was too ill to travel and others were involved in legal proceedings in Israeli courts.
Ghana maintains that its embassy in Tel Aviv is “responsive and compliant with international law”.
Some analysts say the incident may also reflect growing political tension. In recent months, Ghana has been more vocal on the Israel Palestine conflict. In September, it condemned Israeli air strikes that hit Qatar, calling them a “clear violation of international law”. The previous month, Ghana urged Israel to allow more aid into Gaza, describing the humanitarian situation as “heart breaking”. President John Mahama later donated 40 tonnes of Ghana produced chocolate and cocoa goods to Palestinians, reaffirming support for a two state solution.