The ongoing Israeli Film Festival in Ghana has come under fire, with Ernesto Yeboah, the Commander-in-Chief of the Economic Fighters League (EFL), branding the event as a "bloody Israeli propaganda" festival aimed at "brainwashing" the public.

Mr Yeboah, a key figure in Ghana's protest movements, including #FixTheCountry and the anti-corruption 'Drop That Chamber' campaign, stated that he attempted to attend the festival to see what was being shown.

He claimed he was denied entry, an action he described as an act of cowardice on the part of the organisers.

"If their propaganda was truly strong, they wouldn’t fear dissent. That is not strength; it is cowardice," he wrote in a strongly worded social media post.

The four-day festival, scheduled from September 17 to 20 at Silverbird Cinemas in Accra Mall, is organised by the Embassy of Israel in Ghana.

Mr Yeboah also criticised the content of the film, which he labelled as "psychological warfare". He described the plot as a series of distortions where a person is killed, the blame is initially pinned on a "Holocaust offender", and then, in a "bizarre twist", the culprit "magically becomes Hamas". He concluded that the film was nothing but "lies, distortion, and dehumanisation packaged neatly on Silverbird's screens."

The Israeli embassy's website frames the event as a cultural exchange and a symbol of deepening Ghana-Israel relations, showcasing films that reflect Israel's "vibrant, opinionated and innovative" culture.

However, the event has drawn criticism from a coalition of nearly 400 individuals and organisations who have called for its cancellation, citing solidarity with Palestinians and accusing the festival of attempting to "whitewash genocide and apartheid".

According to Yeboah, comrades from the EFL who managed to get inside the cinema reported a significantly low attendance.

The EFL has pledged to continue its protest, with another action scheduled for today, Day Three of the festival, at 6 p.m. sharp.

He described the supposed turnout as a "national embarrassment", despite "millions of dollars pumped into this soft power exercise; the management, the publicity, and the desperate attempt to polish Israel’s image with popcorn and lies."

The festival is reportedly sponsored by companies like SAF STLAmandi Foundation, Rolider, Sienna Services, and EON.

Read Also: Ghanaians unite to demand cancellation of Israeli Film Festival at Silverbird over Gaza genocide concerns

The EFL is part of a coalition made up of prominent Ghanaians, grassroots activists, and civil society groups, who hold the view that the festival is an attempt to “whitewash genocide and apartheid” amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The group's vocal opposition reflects a growing sentiment of solidarity with Palestine among a segment of the Ghanaian public, which has a long history of supporting liberation struggles across Africa. The protest highlights the increasing tension between cultural diplomacy and international political activism in Ghana.

The movement has the backing of some of Ghana’s most respected voices, including journalist Kwesi Pratt Jnr, former CHRAJ Commissioner Justice Emile Short, filmmaker Nii Kwate Owoo, academics Audrey Gadzekpo, Prof. Takyiwaa Manuh, Prof. Akosua Adomako Ampofo, and activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor, among others.

Their involvement has lent significant weight to the protest and amplified the message that the festival will not proceed without resistance.

Below are some photos from the protest: