The Maldives’ ban on Israeli passport holders, initially announced last year by President Mohamed Muizzu, has been ratified and is now fully effective, rendering any Israeli national persona non grata in the luxury tourist archipelago.
The ban, intended as a demonstration of ‘resolute solidarity’ with the Palestinians, was passed by the Maldivian parliament on Monday and ratified the next day by Muizzu. The amendment to the Immigration Act explicitly prohibits visitors holding Israeli passports from entering the Maldives.
A statement issued by the head of state’s office read 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’. Israel firmly denies these allegations, which are currently under review at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. The case was brought to the ICJ in December 2023 by South Africa, accusing Israel of committing genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza. No ruling has yet been issued, and Israel consistently rejects all accusations, asserting that it acts in accordance with international law and defends its right to protect itself following the Hamas invasion and massacres in the south of Israel in October 2023.
The Maldives, famous for its postcard-perfect pristine white sandy beaches lined with palm trees and turquoise waters, reaffirmed its ‘resolute solidarity with the Palestinian cause’.
@han_mountain #maldives #maldivestiktok #maldivesvacation #2024 #tiktok ♬ A short sound effect – KKLab
As reported by Travel Tomorrow, , the latest ban, announced by President Muizzu in June 2024, is only the most recent chapter in a long history of strained relations between the Maldives and Israel. Diplomatic ties were first severed in 1974 following the Arab-initiated Yom Kippur War in 1973. While the Maldives lifted its ban on Israeli tourists in the early 1990s and attempted to normalize relations in 2010, those efforts were abandoned by 2014.
On June 2, the Maldivian government announced a ban on Israeli passport holders over Tel Aviv’s war on Palestine’s Gaza, joining over a dozen countries that do not allow Israeli passport holders to enter. Here's a look. pic.twitter.com/38yqL7bjoL
— TRT World (@trtworld) June 6, 2024
Before the latest ban, Israeli tourism to the Maldives was modest but steadily rising, growing from hundreds of visitors in the early 2000s to thousands in the 2010s, reaching over 15,000 in 2023, representing a small fraction of the 1,878,543 international tourist arrivals.
The current ban applies to all Israeli citizens, including the roughly 20% of Israel’s population who are Palestinian citizens. This complex issue caused a delay in the initial decision in June, as the Muslim nation’s cabinet realised their decision would also affect Palestinian citizens of Israel. The new provision does not clarify how this issue has been resolved. However, Maldives immigration authorities indicated that Israeli citizens who also hold a second passport from another country would still be permitted entry.
Pressure had been mounting on President Muizzu from opposition parties and segments of his own coalition to formalise the ban, amid growing popular support for the Palestinian cause during the Gaza war. Following the initial announcement in 2024, Israel’s Foreign Ministry urged its citizens to avoid travelling to the archipelago.
In December 2023, Israel’s National Security Council (NSC) had already issued a travel warning to its citizens citing severe anti-Israel sentiment in the Maldives. It recommended ‘avoiding non-essential travel to the Maldives, given the presence of terror sympathisers in the islands and increased hostility toward Israelis and Jews’. Despite the warning, almost 11,000 Israelis visited the Maldives in 2024.
By February 2025, however, only 59 Israeli nationals had visited the archipelago.
