Ghana deports Israelis in retaliation for alleged mistreatment of Ghanaians
Ghana deported three Israeli nationals who arrived in the country on Wednesday in what appears to be retaliation for the alleged mistreatment of Ghanaian nationals at Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel.
Seven Ghanaians, including four members of an official delegation attending a cybersecurity conference in Tel Aviv, were reportedly arrested without explanation.
They were released after five hours, while the other three were deported, according to Ghana, which condemned their “humiliating treatment”.
Ghana’s Foreign Ministry said a senior diplomat from the Israeli embassy in Accra had been summoned following the incident, and the two countries had agreed to resolve the conflict amicably.
The BBC has contacted the Israeli embassy for comment but has not yet received a response.
Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that the two countries have enjoyed friendly relations for decades, making Israel’s alleged actions inconsistent with their historical ties.
“The Government of Ghana views the actions of the Israeli authorities as unfairly targeting Ghanaian travelers and expresses its strong reservations over the humiliating treatment of our citizens,” he said.
He added that Ghana “expects our citizens to be treated with dignity and respect in the same way that other governments expect Ghana to treat their nationals.”
According to Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Israeli government said the three Ghanaians were expelled because Accra did not cooperate in the attempted expulsion of a separate group of Ghanaians.
The Ghanaian government then deported the three Israeli nationals “in obvious retaliation”, Ablakwa told the BBC’s Newsday programme.
“We want to send a clear message that we will not tolerate any inhumane treatment of our nationals,” he said.
The foreign minister said Israel had asked for help in deporting six people, one of whom was actually from Gabon, another who was too ill to travel, while others still had legal challenges pending in Israeli courts.
Ghana insists its embassy in Tel Aviv is “responsive and compliant with international law”.
Some analysts have suggested that Ghana’s recent stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict could also be a factor in this conflict.
In September, Ghana condemned Israeli airstrikes against Qatar, calling them a “flagrant violation of international law” and an affront to Qatar’s sovereignty. Israel had targeted senior Hamas leaders who had gathered in Doha, the capital of Qatar.
The previous month, Ghanaian authorities had urged Israel to allow more aid to Gaza, calling the suffering of civilians “heartbreaking.”
President John Mahama has donated 40 tonnes of chocolate and cocoa products made in Ghana to the Palestinians, reaffirming the country’s long-standing support for the Palestinian cause and a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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