World Accepted Decision to Ban Israeli Passports - Maldives Foreign minister

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s ratification of the amendment to the Maldives Immigration Act on 15 April, banned the entry of Israeli passports into the Maldives with immediate effect.

In an interview with PSM News, Minister Dr Khaleel said the decision was not made lightly, and after much deliberations the ban was enforced because it was what the Maldivian people wanted.

"This is not something a small country like Maldives has done before. There are larger, more powerful countries that have followed through on such measures. But a small country like Maldives has never done this before. This shows us the unity of the Islamic Ummah,” he explained.

The Minister echoed the brotherly relations that exist between Maldivians and the Palestinian people, which was the driving force behind the diplomatic consultations on the ban. Despite initial fears and warnings, there has not been a discernible impact on tourism, he added.

"Almost all the countries we held consultations with accepted our position that the interests of the country and its people are the top priority of our foreign policy. Some people were saying that Maldives’ tourism will be affected, but fortunately that has not come to pass and our tourism is actually doing better,” the Minister said.

Government officials have characterised the measure as a response to Israel's human rights violations and genocide against the Palestinian population. By prohibiting entry to Israeli passport holders, the Maldives aims to formalise its opposition to these actions.

The amendment introduces a new provision to the Immigration Act, expressly prohibiting the entry of individuals holding Israeli passports into the territory of the Republic of Maldives. 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.

The President has consistently championed the rights of the Palestinian people in the international arena. He has strongly condemned Israel's inhuman actions and spoken out in favor of the Palestinian people in all international forums he has participated in so far. The Maldives is also participating in ongoing legal cases filed against Israel in international courts.