The Maldives faced “some international pressure” initially over its decision to ban entries on Israeli passports, but the stand has since been widely accepted by the international community, says Dr. Abdulla Khaleel, the country’s foreign minister.
Amendments to Maldives’ Immigration Act banning entries on Israeli passports until Israel stops its attacks on Palestine were enacted by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu on April 15, shortly after its passage at the Parliament.
In an interview to Public Service Media (PSM) on Friday, Khaleel said that Palestinians have a special place in the heart of Maldivians – something that President Muizzu understands very well.
He said that the decision to ban Israeli passports was President Muizzu’s response to the appeal of Maldivian people.
“This not something that a small country the likes of Maldives have ever done before. Some larger countries with stronger economies have done so. But this is not something a small country like Maldives has done before,” he said, adding that decision signifies President Muizzu’s commitment to upholding the solidarity of the Muslim ummah.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Abdulla Khaleel. (Sun Photo/ Naish Nahid)
Khaleel said the Maldives faced some pressure from the international community following its decision to ban Israeli passports.
“The truth is that the we faced a certain degree of pressure from the international community regarding the decision to ban Israeli passports,” he said.
“But as a result of the [diplomatic] efforts we engaged in with the interests of the Maldives and the Maldivian people as the cornerstone of our foreign policy, almost all countries we engaged in discussions with came to accept our stand,” he said.
Khaleel added that contrary to fears by some, the decision did not impact tourist arrivals to the Maldives, with the tourism sector growing stronger.
He said that Maldives has an effective and recognized foreign policy that is producing results.
Mounting outrage over the atrocities in Gaza and other occupied Palestinian territories have sparked protests in the streets of the capital, Male’ City, with Maldivians demanding that the government ban Israeli citizens from entering the country.
Israel’s current war on Gaza, which began on October 7, 2023, has killed more than54,000 Palestinians, many of them women and children. It has also reduced much of the Palestinian territory to rubble, displaced the vast majority of residents, and resulted in widespread malnutrition. A fragile ceasefire that took effect in January collapsed in March.