Maldives to ban Israelis to protest Gaza war
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The Maldives is known for its secluded sandy white beaches, shallow turquoise lagoons and Robinson Crusoe-style getaways.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: UNSPLASH
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MALE - The Indian Ocean nation of the Maldives will ban Israelis from the luxury tourist hot spot, the office of the president said June 2, announcing a national rally in “solidarity with Palestine”.
The Maldives, a tiny Islamic republic of more than 1,000 strategically located coral islets, is known for its secluded sandy white beaches, shallow turquoise lagoons and Robinson Crusoe-style getaways.
President Mohamed Muizzu has “resolved to impose a ban on Israeli passports”, a spokesman for his office said in a statement, without giving details of when the new law would take effect.
Dr Muizzu also announced a national fund-raising campaign called “Maldivians in Solidarity with Palestine”.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry on June 2 recommended that Israeli citizens not travel to the Maldives after the ban.
The recommendation, the Israeli ministry said, includes Israelis with dual citizenship.
“For Israeli citizens already in the country, it is recommended to consider leaving, because if they find themselves in distress for any reason, it will be difficult for us to assist,” the ministry said in a statement.
The Maldives had lifted a previous ban on Israeli tourists in the early 1990s and moved to restore relations in 2010.
However, normalisation attempts were scuttled following the toppling of president Mohamed Nasheed in February 2012.
Opposition parties and government allies in the Maldives have been putting pressure on Dr Muizzu to ban Israelis, as a sign of protest against the Gaza war.
Official data showed the number of Israelis visiting the Maldives dropped to 528 in the first four months of 2024, down 88 per cent compared with the corresponding period in 2023.
The war was sparked by Palestinian militant group Hamas’ unprecedented Oct 7 attack on Israel,
Militants also took 252 hostages, 121 of whom remain in Gaza, including 37 the army says are dead.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 36,379 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory’s Health Ministry. AFP, REUTERS
