Israel Drops Ebola Travel Curbs on Kenya After Diplomatic Backlash

Israel’s Health Ministry and Population and Immigration Authority recently moved to block foreign travelers who are not Israeli citizens or residents from boarding flights to Israel if they had spent the previous 21 days in several African countries, including Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The steps were aimed at preventing Ebola from entering Israel.

The decision prompted an unusually sharp response from Kenya. Foreign Secretary Korir Singoei publicly said the restriction on Kenya was unjustified, noting that the country had recorded no confirmed Ebola cases despite conducting more than 80,000 tests. He said Kenya was also helping regional efforts to stop the virus.

Kenyan officials argued that including the country on the restricted list did not reflect the actual epidemiological situation and risked harming citizens unnecessarily, as well as damaging bilateral ties. After the diplomatic protest and talks between the sides, Israel revised the instructions and removed Kenya and Rwanda from the list of countries subject to entry restrictions.

Singoei later welcomed the reversal and posted thanks on X, saying he appreciated Israel’s “listening and sensitivity” on the issue. The restrictions remain in force for other countries in the region where the risk of Ebola spread is considered higher, as part of Israel’s broader effort to keep infectious diseases out of the country.