Reaction to war in Gaza
Maldives want to ban Israelis from entering the country
03.06.2024, 13:46
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The Maldives may be small, but they are a place of longing for many people, including around 11,000 Israelis in 2023. However, this could be their last holiday on the island group. The country wants to deny them entry. The reason is Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip.
The government of the holiday paradise of the Maldives wants to ban Israeli citizens from entering the country in response to the war in Gaza. The relevant laws are to be amended, said the office of President Mohamed Muizzu in the capital Malé. He has thus followed a corresponding recommendation from the cabinet. The ban should come into force as soon as possible, Interior Minister Ali Ihusaan told reporters.
In addition, the president of the Muslim country has appointed a special envoy to determine the needs of the Palestinians. He also wants to collect money for the people in the Palestinian territories with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
The Israeli Foreign Ministry then recommended that its citizens no longer travel to the island group, which is known for its luxury hotels, white beaches, turquoise water and corals. Its spokesman, Oren Marmorstein, said that the ministry recommended that all Israelis not travel to the Maldives. This also applies to citizens with a second passport.
Israel had already issued a travel warning for the Maldives last December – in view of the anti-Israeli sentiment in the context of the war. The two nations do not have full diplomatic relations, but Israelis have so far been able to visit the dream holiday destination. Last year, according to official Maldivian figures, almost 11,000 tourists from Israel visited. That corresponds to 0.6 percent of the total number of visitors to the island group.