The government of the Maldives has announced its intention to prohibit Israelis from entering the Indian Ocean archipelago, renowned for its luxury resorts, as public anger in the predominantly Muslim nation escalates over the ongoing war in Gaza.
A statement from President Mohamed Muizzu's office revealed that the cabinet has decided to amend existing laws to prevent Israeli passport holders from gaining entry into the country. Additionally, a subcommittee will be established to oversee the implementation of this process.
In a Facebook post, the Israeli Foreign Ministry wrote, "In light of the Maldives government's decision to ban the entry of citizens with Israeli passports, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends that Israeli citizens avoid travel to the Maldives. The recommendation is also valid for Israeli citizens holding a foreign passport in addition to an Israeli passport. For Israeli citizens staying in the country, it is recommended to consider leaving, since if they fall into distress for any reason, it will be difficult for us to help."
Yoseph Haddad, an Israeli-Arab public figure, wrote on Instagram, "Do you understand they didn't ban entry for Palestinians after the October 7 massacre? To them if you raped, kidnapped, and massacred Israelis you are welcome to vacation there, but if your country defended itself against a terrorist organization you are not allowed entry. They didn't ban entry for citizens of Iran, North Korea, or Syria... only Israelis! This is the definition of apartheid by the way."
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Last year, nearly 11,000 Israelis visited the Maldives, accounting for 0.6% of the total tourist arrivals in the island nation. However, in December, Israel issued a travel warning cautioning its citizens against visiting the Maldives, citing "heightened anti-Israel sentiment" and "public comments by officials" during the conflict with Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist group.
The Republic of Maldives, a Sunni Muslim country without official diplomatic relations with Israel, recently condemned the Israeli actions in Rafah, a city in the Gaza Strip. "Such deliberate aggression and genocidal acts targeted against civilians are in gross violation of international humanitarian law," the Maldives' Foreign Ministry stated last Tuesday.
Citizens in the Maldives have staged numerous demonstrations against Israel since the outbreak of the conflict with Hamas on October 7. As early as November, a bill was introduced in parliament proposing to prohibit Israeli passport holders from entering the country. President Muizzu is expected to appoint a special envoy tasked with assessing the humanitarian needs of Palestinians and launching a fundraising campaign to support relief efforts.
