Maldives closes doors to Israel passport holders: Exceptions

The Maldives has vowed not to allow even a single Israeli passport holder to set foot in the country in solidarity with Palestine. The Maldives parliament has passed the law banning their entry in the country. President Mohamed Muizzu has signed and ratified the bill, which was passed in unison by the parliament. Meanwhile, the statement on the President’s official website noted that 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’. Although the Maldivian government had made the resolution to impose a ban on Israeli passports when the Jewish state had intensified its strikes in Palestine, the bill became a law only now.

59 Israeli citizens had visited the Maldives in February. Besides, millions of tourists worldwide fly to the beautiful archipelago to enjoy its scintillating beaches and atolls. Meanwhile, protests have been getting intense in many Southeast Asian countries against Israel. Pakistan and Bangladesh, too, have taken severe measures to express their anguish. In a mega rally held at Dhaka, Bangladesh, the protestors had burned and splashed paint on US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s posters and effigies.

Millions of protesters joined the rally in Karachi on Sunday. Pakistan had cut all diplomatic ties with Israel after the latter violated the ceasefire. There are reports that the protestors had set fire to an American fast-food chain in Rawalpindi.   

Not all Israeli tourists are banned: Exceptions
The authorities clarified that Israeli citizens who possess passports of other countries can enter the Maldives. Therefore, citizens with dual citizenship or those residing in other countries with a different passport are allowed to visit the nation.