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By Marni Rose McFall
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The Maldives has announced it will ban Israelis from entering the tiny South Asian island nation, in response to the war in Gaza.
The archipelago's minister for homeland security and technology made the announcement to "impose a ban on Israeli passports" at a news conference on June 2, according to a statement from the president's office. It comes amid rising pressure from political leaders in the world's smallest Muslim-majority country on President Mohamed Muizzu to take action in protest against the war.
The Context
Restrictions on Israeli passport holders are not new. In 2023, 28 countries did not recognize Israel as a sovereign nation and 16 of those countries would not allow entry to citizens with Israeli passports.
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The Maldives suspended diplomatic ties with Israel 50 years ago, but the Israeli people have been able to visit the Maldives since the early 1990s, when the nation lifted a previous ban on Israeli tourism.
According to Palestinian officials, Israel's offensive in Gaza has killed over 36,000 people, after Hamas and other militant groups launched an attack in southern Israel on October 7. This attack killed about 1,200 people and took 250 people hostage.
What We Know
As of 2024, there are several countries that refuse entry to Israeli passport holders. These include key nations in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, such as Syria, Lebanon, Iran, and Iraq, which have long-standing non-recognition policies towards Israel due to political conflicts.
This move aligns the Maldives with other member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which have imposed similar restrictions.
The map below shows which countries do not accept Israeli passports.
Algeria, Bangladesh, Brunei, Iran, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Pakistan, Syria and Yemen all impose bans on Israeli nationals, including Israeli Arabs. These countries do not recognize the State of Israel, and as such, they do not allow entry to Israeli passport holders.
Other countries have policies which prohibit Israeli citizens unless in certain circumstances. Iraq has a ban on Israeli nationals except in Iraqi Kurdistan, Oman will not allow Israeli nationals unless for transit reasons and Saudi Arabia imposes a ban excepting religious and business purpose. Malaysia also does not allow Israeli nationals unless they have a clearance permit obtained from the ministry of home affairs.
Following Sunday's announcement by the Maldivian government, the Israeli foreign ministry advised citizens to "avoid all travel to the Maldives."
In a statement on its website, the ministry said it recommended any Israelis currently in the country to leave, "as in the event of any distress, it will be difficult for us to provide assistance."
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What's Next
The statement from Muizzu's office said a Cabinet subcommittee would be set up to oversee efforts to implement the ban on Israelis entering the country, but there was no mention of a date for when the ban would come into effect.
Newsweek has emailed the president's office for further comment.
The Maldivian government also announced it will start a fundraising campaign for Palestinians and hold a nationwide rally called "Maldivians in solidarity with Palestine."
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