Following the Maldives’ restriction on Israeli passport holders entering the nation, the Israeli Embassy adopted a novel strategy, encouraging travel to India as a substitute.
Israel advises citizens following an entrance ban:
In Short
- Israelis are banned in the Maldives in support of the Palestinians
- Israeli Embassy receives praise for promoting Indian beaches.
- Maldives tourism suffers from decline of Israeli and Indian tourists
Jerusalem:
Israel advises citizens following an entrance ban:
Following the declaration on Sunday by the Maldivian government that it will be amending its laws to forbid Israeli nationals from visiting, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommended Israeli individuals who were already residing there to think about leaving.
According to a report from the Xinhua news agency, the Ministry stated, “It will be difficult for us to assist Israelis who are currently in the Maldives if they encounter trouble.”
It further advised Israeli nationals, especially those with dual passports from other nations, not to visit the island nation with a majority of Muslims.
Following requests from locals who referenced Israeli bombings in the Gaza Strip, the Maldivian government decided to prohibit Israelis from entering the country earlier on Sunday.
More than a million tourists visit the Maldives each year, with an estimated 15,000 of those visitors coming from Israel, according to Maldivian media.
Due to the situation in Gaza, the Maldives, which are renowned for their beautiful beaches, have recently prohibited Israeli visitors. In retaliation, Israel suggested that its citizens stay away from the island nation and that those who were already there think about leaving.
Gorgeous photos of Indian beaches, from Goa to Kerala, are flooding the Israeli Embassy’s X page amid ongoing tensions. They are advising its citizens to visit beach locations in India rather than the Maldives.
The Israeli Embassy tweeted on Monday[,Israel advises citizens following an entrance ban ] “As the Maldives is no longer accepting Israeli tourists, here are some gorgeous and amazing Indian beaches where Israeli tourists are warmly welcomed and treated with utmost hospitality.”
In an attempt to add more salt to the wound, the Israeli Embassy also shared a picture of a beach in Lakshadweep. The ministers who made disparaging remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he tweeted pictures of himself snorkelling in Lakshadweep and enjoying its beaches demonstrated how much the Maldivians miss the Arabian Sea islands.
These comments were viewed as discriminatory and sparked a major outcry in India, where there were calls to stop visiting the Maldives.
This Israeli prohibition may hurt the Maldives, as the country is heavily dependent on tourism. Following a historic low in Indian tourism, things aren’t looking good for them at the moment. Furthermore, according to government statistics, there have been 88% fewer Israeli tourists in the Maldives this year than there were the previous.
It seems that widespread outrage over the ongoing violence in Gaza and mounting pressure from opposition parties precipitated the decision to prohibit Israeli passport holders from entering the nation.
To supervise the prohibition’s execution, President Mohamed Muizzu has formed a subcommittee. A nationwide fundraising initiative named “Maldivians in Solidarity with Palestine” has also been started in order to aid the Palestinian people.