Ghana deports three Israelis in tit-for-tat over alleged mistreatment of Ghanaians

Ghana has deported three Israeli nationals who arrived in the country on Wednesday in what appears to be a tit-for-tat move over the alleged mistreatment of Ghanaian nationals at Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel.

Seven Ghanaians, including four members of an official delegation attending a cyber-security conference in Tel Aviv, were allegedly detained without explanation.

They were released after five hours, while the three others were deported, according to Ghana, which condemned their “humiliating treatment”.

Ghana’s foreign ministry says a senior diplomat from the Israeli embassy in Accra was summoned over the incident, and both countries have agreed to resolve the row amicably.

The BBC has contacted the Israeli embassy for comment but is yet to receive a response.

Ghana’s foreign ministry noted that the two countries have enjoyed decades of friendly relations, making Israel’s alleged actions inconsistent with their historic ties.

”The Government of Ghana considers the actions of the Israeli authorities as unfairly targeting Ghanaian travellers and conveys its strong reservations against the humiliating treatment of our citizens,” it said.

It added that the Ghana “expects our citizens to be treated with dignity and respect in much the same way as other governments expect Ghana to treat their nationals”.

The source of the tensions between Ghana and Israel is not entirely clear, but Ghana’s recent stance on the Israel-Palestinian conflict might be a factor.

In September, Ghana condemned Israeli air strikes which hit Qatar, describing the attacks as a “clear violation of international law” and an affront to Qatar’s sovereignty. Israel had targeted senior Hamas leaders who had gathered in Qatar’s capital, Doha.

The previous month, Ghanaian authorities urged Israel to allow more aid into Gaza, describing the civilian suffering there as “heart-breaking”.

President John Mahama donated 40 tonnes of Ghana-made chocolate and cocoa products to Palestinians, reaffirming the country’s longstanding support for the Palestinian cause and for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

Analysts suggest that these actions might have contributed to the current strained relations, especially if Israel perceives Ghana’s stance as biased or unfavourable.

However, Ghana said that it was told the row was linked to Israeli accusations that Ghana’s embassy wasn’t cooperating over the deportation of its citizens from Israel.

Ghana insists that its embassy in Tel Aviv is “responsive and compliant with international law”.