Ghana’s Foreign Ministry says it will summon officials of the Israeli Embassy in Accra to protest what it described as the “inhumane and traumatic treatment” of Ghanaian citizens at Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport.
In a statement Tuesday, the ministry said it is “deeply concerned that since Sunday, December 7, Ghanaian travellers have been deliberately targeted and subjected to inhumane and traumatic treatment.”
Seven Ghanaian nationals were detained at the airport, including four members of a parliamentary delegation attending the Annual International Cybersecurity Conference in Tel Aviv. They were released after more than five hours following “strenuous diplomatic intervention.” The remaining three travelers were deported on the next available flight and have since returned to Ghana.
The government dismissed Israel’s justification for the deportations which alleged non-cooperation by the Ghanaian Embassy in Tel Aviv as “totally untenable,” insisting the embassy has always acted in compliance with international law.
“Ghana and Israel have maintained cordial relations for more than six decades, with extensive unimpeded travel by citizens of both countries,” the ministry said, adding that the incident conveyed “strong reservations against the humiliating treatment of its citizens.”
Officials said the Israeli Embassy in Accra will be formally summoned “to convey Ghana’s displeasure in the strongest possible terms.” The government also indicated it is considering “appropriate reciprocal action.”
