The Maldives announced that they were banning the entry of Israelis into the luxury tourist archipelago in sign of “resolved solidarity” with the Palestinian people. President Mohamed Muizzu ratified the legislation shortly after his approval by parliament on Tuesday.
“The ratification reflects the firm position of the government in response to the atrocities and the acts of continuous genocide committed by Israel against the Palestinian people,” said his office in a statement. “The Maldives reaffirm their solidarity resolved with the Palestinian cause.
The prohibition will be implemented with immediate effect, a spokesperson for the Muizzu office said at the AFP news agency.
The Maldives, Islamic Republic composed of 1,192 strategically located coral islets, are known for their isolated white sandy beaches, their shallow turquoise lagoons and their Crusoe Robinson escapades. Official data show that only 59 Israeli tourists visited the archipelago in February, among 214,000 other foreign arrivals.
The Maldives had raised a previous ban on Israeli tourists in the early 1990s and briefly tried to restore relations in 2010.
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