Parliamentary committee seeks data on Israeli arrivals

The 241 committee on security services of the parliament on Thursday passed a motion to obtain statistics on individuals entering the country using Israeli passports.

The motion follows a bill introduced in June by Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Meekail Naseem, proposing a ban on Israeli citizens entering the Maldives. The bill, intended as a protest against alleged genocide, is expected to be finalised by the committee in February next year.

Committee Chairman, Eydhafushi MP Ahmed Saleem from the ruling Progressive National Congress (PNC) initiated discussions on the bill during a committee meeting. Deputy speaker, Dhigurah MP Ahmed Nazim proposed sending a letter to relevant authorities to gather data on Israeli passport holders entering the Maldives and to solicit written input from the tourism industry.

“I want to obtain statistics to better understand the situation,” Nazim said. “How many Israelis have entered the Maldives in the last two or three years? There are often Israeli passport holders in other countries as well, including South Africa and the United States. In some cases, they may include Arabs or Palestinians with Israeli passports.”

Nazim suggested that immigration authorities should provide data on these entries and clarify whether their purpose was tourism, business, or other reasons.

Kelaa MP Abdulla Shareef supported the motion, noting that many Israeli visitors come to the Maldives to engage in surfing. He stated, however, that detailed statistics are needed to confirm these trends.

The committee has decided to seek comments from the following entities:

The committee's motion comes after an MDP motion on the matter was rejected due to delays in the legislative process. Additionally, prior emergency cases related to the issue were dismissed.