The Israeli foreign ministry has issued a travel advisory cautioning Israeli citizens against visiting the Maldives, the Times of Israel has reported. This advisory comes in response to a surge in anti-Israel sentiment in the Maldives following Israel’s war on Gaza.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry cited the intensifying anti-Israel atmosphere in the Maldives, including public comments made by Maldivian officials, as the basis for the advisory. This warning comes amidst mounting criticism and anti-Israel sentiment due to Israel’s ongoing attacks in Gaza and the continuous raids in the West Bank. At least 19,453 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since October 7, according to the health ministry in Gaza.
As part of a broader travel warning issued by the Israeli foreign ministry in the wake of its actions against Palestinians, Israel cautioned its citizens against visiting the Maldives and other Muslim nations. The warning notes that should Israelis need help, the ministry would find it “difficult to provide assistance.”
The Maldives, which does not maintain diplomatic ties with Israel, has been vocal about the rights of Palestinians, including their right to self-determination. The Maldives government has repeatedly called for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. The country has also called on Israel to halt the indiscriminate bombing of civilian populations and essential infrastructure, citing the devastating toll on innocent lives, particularly children.
While the Maldives has not had diplomatic ties with Israel since 1978, Israeli tourists are allowed to enter. However, there has been growing public sentiment in the Maldives, calling on the government and parliament to ban the entry of Israeli tourists. A petition was also filed with parliament calling for a ban on entry for all Israeli passport holders to the Maldives as tourists.
Parliament had earlier unanimously passed a resolution, submitted by Member of Parliament (MP) for Vilingili, Saud Hussain, which strongly condemned “the inhumane aggression by Israel against the Palestinian people.” This resolution calls for “an immediate cessation of these actions, the return of lands taken from Palestinians, and the recognition of Palestine as a sovereign state.”
Earlier, the MP for Nolhivaram, Mohamed Nasheed Abdulla, submitted a bill to amend the Maldives Immigration Act of 2007. This amendment, if passed, would ban Israeli passports as valid documents for entering the Maldives.