The Maldivian government has decided to amend its laws to ban Israeli nationals from entering the country, local media cited Minister of Homeland Security and Technology Ali Ihusan as reporting. At a press briefing on June 2, Sunday, Ihusan said the decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting held earlier in the day following calls by local citizens to ban Israeli nationals due to devastating attacks in Palestine’s Gaza, Xinhua news agency reported.
Ihusan added that the government will make legal amendments to implement the ban and a special committee has been appointed to expedite the process.
Subsequently, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reportedly advised Israeli citizens currently staying in the Maldives to consider leaving the country. “If Israelis who are currently in the Maldives encounter trouble, it will be difficult for us to assist them,” the Ministry said as quoted by Xinhua news agency report.
It also recommended that Israeli citizens refrain from travelling to the Muslim-majority island nation, even if they hold a second passport from another country.
Maldivian media said the Maldives receives more than one million tourists annually, with an estimated 15,000 tourists coming from Israel.