Maldives bans Israelis from entering country, in protest against Gaza's 'ongoing genocide'

Middle East Eye

15-04-2025

The Maldives has banned Israelis from entering the country in protest against Israel's war on Gaza and in "resolute solidarity" with the Palestinian people.
President Mohamed Muizzu signed the legislation on Monday after it was passed by the People's Majlis, the Maldivian parliament.
Muizzu's cabinet initially decided to ban all Israeli passport holders from the idyllic island nation in June 2024 until Israel stops its attacks on Palestine, but progress on the legislation stalled.
A bill was presented in May 2024 in the Maldivian parliament by Meekail Ahmed Naseem, a lawmaker from the main opposition, the Maldivian Democratic Party, which sought to amend the country's Immigration Act.
The cabinet then decided to change the country's laws to ban Israeli passport holders, including dual citizens. After several amendments, it passed this week, over 300 days later.
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"The ratification reflects the government's firm stance in response to the continuing atrocities and ongoing acts of genocide committed by Israel against the Palestinian people," Muizzu's office said in a statement.
Gaza's health ministry said on Sunday that at least 1,613 Palestinians had been killed since 18 March, when a ceasefire collapsed, taking the overall death toll since Israel's war on Gaza began in October 2023 to 50,983.
The ban goes into immediate effect.
'The Maldives reaffirms its resolute solidarity with the Palestinian cause,' the statement added.
Last year, in response to talk of a ban, Israel's foreign ministry advised its citizens against travelling to the country.
Chequered history
The Maldives is an Islamic republic made up of 1,129 islands. It is considered one of the world's premier beach vacation destinations, known for its coral reefs, white sandy beaches and picturesque lagoons.
This isn't the first time the Maldives has issued a travel ban on Israelis. The Maldives recognised Israel and established diplomatic relations after Israel became the third state to recognise the island nation in 1965 - but those were suspended in 1974.
A ban on Israeli tourists from a previous era was lifted in the 1990s, and in 2009, Maldives and Israel signed several cooperation agreements to improve relations. However, in 2018, under new leadership, those agreements were severed, and the two countries have had rocky relations since then.
In 2024, the country took in nearly two million tourists, with the top five arrivals from China, Italy, India, Russia, and the United Kingdom. Most tourist arrivals come from Europe (54 percent), and Asia and the Pacific are in second place with 35 percent of all arrivals.
According to the Maldives Ministry of Tourism, 528 Israelis visited the country in the first quarter of 2024, down 89 percent from 4,644 in the first quarter of 2023.
According to government data, over 200,000 tourists visited the Maldives this February, 59 of whom were Israeli.