Maldives bars travelers with Israeli passports over Gaza war
FILE- Foreign tourists arrive in a resort in the Kurumba island in Maldives, Feb. 12, 2012. Credit: AP/Gemunu Amarasinghe
MALE, Maldives — The Maldives has changed its immigration law to bar people from entering the country with Israeli passports in a show of outrage over the war in Gaza.
The amendment was passed by Parliament on Monday and approved by President Mohamed Muizzu on Tuesday, according to a statement from the president's office.
The Maldives immigration service clarified that Israeli citizens who have a second passport would be able to enter the country.
The Cabinet took the decision nearly a year ago but the government did not formalize it until this week.
“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 statement said.
Maldives is a tiny archipelago state south of India known as a high-end tourist destination. It is predominantly a Sunni Muslim nation where preaching and practicing other faiths is legally banned.
According to the latest available immigration statistics, 59 people with Israeli passports entered the Maldives in February.
Policemen patrol near the Parliament building as members vote on the impeachment motion against Vice-President Ahmed Adeeb in Male, Maldives, Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015. Credit: AP/Sinan Hussain
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