The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned what it describes as unfair and humiliating treatment of Ghanaian travellers at Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport, following the detention and deportation of seven citizens on December 7.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the ministry said the government “wishes to express its strong protest” and “deplores the recent ill-treatment meted out to Ghanaian nationals travelling to Israel.”
According to the ministry, the travellers were “deliberately targeted and subjected to inhumane and traumatic treatment.” It noted that four of those detained were Members of Parliament attending an international cybersecurity conference in Tel Aviv.
They were released only after what the ministry described as “more than five hours of strenuous diplomatic intervention.” The other three were deported and “have since arrived in Ghana.”
Government insisted the actions of Israeli authorities amount to unfair targeting of Ghanaian travellers, stressing that it “conveys its strong reservations against the humiliating treatment of our citizens.”
The ministry added that Ghana and Israel have enjoyed cordial relations for decades, making the incident even more troubling. It called the conduct of Israeli authorities “extremely provocative, unacceptable and inconsistent with our friendly historical relations.”
The Foreign Affairs Ministry said Israel has justified the actions by citing an alleged non-cooperation by Ghana’s Embassy in Tel Aviv, a claim Ghana rejects. “Our Embassy has provided all the necessary cooperation,” the statement said.
