Guesthouse NGO proposes selective ban on Israeli officials

National Hotel and Guesthouse Association of Maldives (NHGAM) on Tuesday expressed its support for a selective ban on Israeli officials entering the country, rather than a blanket ban on all individuals holding Israeli passports.

This position was conveyed during a meeting with the parliamentary committee on security services, known as the 241 committee.

The committee sought the association’s views on a proposed amendment to the Immigration Act, introduced by the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), to prohibit Israeli nationals from entering the Maldives.

Ahmed Waheed, Vice President of NHGAM, stated that Israeli laws allow individuals of Jewish descent worldwide, including those in Europe and the United States, to obtain Israeli passports.

"Banning everyone with an Israeli passport would negatively impact the tourism industry," Waheed said during the meeting. "We support restricting entry only for Israeli leaders, excluding the military, as this approach would address specific concerns."

The MDP introduced the proposed amendment following public calls for such measures. At a cabinet meeting in June, the government decided to amend the law to implement a ban on Israeli nationals. The move came amid growing public sentiment on the matter.

Subsequently, Attorney General Ahmed Usham addressed the government's legislative priorities during a press conference. He noted that several factors required careful consideration before implementing a blanket restriction on all Israeli passport holders under the proposed legislation.

The parliamentary committee began work on the bill three months ago and has set a February deadline for completing its review.