The Maldives government has announced an entry ban for holders of Israeli passports, reacting to public outrage over the war in Gaza.
The government of the Maldives, a popular tourist destination in the Indian Ocean archipelago, will ban entry to Israeli passport holders as public anger grows in the predominantly Muslim nation over the war in Gaza.
The island’s President Mohamed Muizzu “has decided to impose an entry ban on Israeli passports,” a spokesman for his office said in a statement, without giving details on when the new law would take effect.
Nearly 11,000 Israelis visited the Maldives last year, equivalent to 0.6 percent of total tourist arrivals. Official figures also show that the number of Israelis visiting the Maldives was just 528 in the first four months of this year, down 88% compared to the same period last year.
Opposition parties and government allies in the Maldives are putting pressure on Muizzu to ban Israelis in protest against the Gaza war.
The Maldives had lifted its previous ban on Israeli tourists (in the early 1990s) and restored relations in 2010. However, normalization efforts were thwarted after the overthrow of President Mohamed Nasheed in February 2012.
In response to the ban, a spokesperson for Israel’s Foreign Ministry urged citizens currently in the Maldives to depart. “For Israeli citizens residing in the country, it is recommended that they consider leaving, as if they find themselves in a difficult time for any reason, it will be difficult for us to help.”
Israeli passport holders are also not allowed to enter Algeria, Bangladesh, Brunei, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Yemen.
