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Maldives enforces total entry ban on Israeli passport holders
The Maldives has introduced a blanket ban on travellers holding Israeli passports, with President Mohamed Muizzu saying the new law removes previous conditions that tied entry restrictions to specific developments.
The Maldives has shut its doors to visitors travelling on Israeli passports, turning a previously conditional restriction into an absolute rule.
President Mohamed Muizzu announced that new legislation now prohibits the entry of anyone carrying an Israeli passport under any circumstance. The change removes earlier wording that linked the restriction to the situation on the ground, making the ban permanent in law rather than contingent on particular events.
This decision severs direct tourist links between Israel and one of the Indian Ocean’s best-known resort destinations. Israelis have been a relatively small share of overall arrivals to the Maldives, but the complete cutoff is a clear political signal at a time when Israel faces criticism in various international forums over its conduct in Gaza.
For Maldivian authorities, the move carries both external and domestic dimensions. It aligns with long-standing support for the Palestinian cause in a Muslim-majority country and demonstrates that the government is prepared to use access to its territory as a tool of protest. For the tourism industry, which draws heavily on visitors from Europe, the Gulf and Asia, the immediate economic impact is likely to be limited, but resort operators will still need to adjust to the legal change.
On the Israeli side, the ban narrows travel options in a region that had become more accessible in recent years. It also adds to a broader pattern of states signalling disapproval of Israel’s policies not just through statements but through concrete restrictions.
Key developments to watch now include whether any other tourism-focused states adopt similar measures, and how Israel responds in its travel advisories and diplomatic contacts with the Maldives in light of the new law.