3 Israeli nationals were deported from Ghana on Wednesday at Kotoka International Airport in Accra in retaliation for the alleged mistreatment of Ghanaian nationals at Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport.
“Following the ill-treatment and unjustified deportation of three Ghanaian nationals by Israeli authorities, the Government of Ghana has been compelled to retaliate by deporting three (3) Israelis who arrived in Ghana …” Ghanaian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sam Okudzeto shared this Statement on X (Twitter). 
According to reports, 7 Ghanaians—4 of whom were part of an official group attending a cybersecurity conference in Tel Aviv—were held without cause for 5 hours before being freed. Ghana denounced this “humiliating treatment” and called in a top Israeli envoy to address the issue. The matter was eventually resolved.
”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,” the Ghanaian government told the BBC.
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Ghana May Be On Palestine’s Side
Although Israel and Ghana have amicable relations, this recent action and many others from Ghana suggest they also support Palestine.
President John Mahama demonstrated Ghana’s support for the Palestinian cause and reaffirmed the necessity of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict by gifting 40 tonnes of Ghanaian-made chocolate and cocoa products.
Ghana also strongly denounced Israeli airstrikes in Doha, Qatar in September, calling them a “clear violation of international law” and an infringement on Qatar’s sovereignty. Senior Hamas leaders in Doha were the target of the attacks.
Ghanaian officials also urged Israel to allow more aid to be sent to Gaza in August, calling the terrible circumstances that Palestinians were facing “heartbreaking”.
Israel and Palestine have been in conflict for decades over land rights, and tensions escalated dramatically in 2023 when Hamas conducted an incursion and detained some Israeli citizens. This led to a full-scale war with Israel bombing many places in Gaza.
With respect to the treatment of its citizens at Israel’s airport, Ghana’s Foreign Ministry said (they) “expect our citizens to be treated with dignity and respect in much the same way as other governments expect Ghana to treat their nationals”
Beyond these, the Ghanaian government is making a statement to the world that it does not joke with its citizens and would protect them at all costs.
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