Protestors gather outside President's Office calling to ban Israeli passports

Protestors have gathered outside the President’s Office, calling to immediately ban Israeli passports.

The rally was held at 11am on Sunday.

Although the protest was scheduled to be held near the President’s Office, officers of the Maldives Police Office (MPS) had cordoned off the whole area, before the rally could begin.

Those who participated in the rally held placards calling for the immediate ban of Israeli passports and held Palestinian flags and voiced against letting Israeli nationals as well as products enter the island nation.

However, government bodies have not commented on the public’s concerns raised at the rally.

A cabinet meeting was proceeding at the time of the rally and even at the end of the meeting, no one had said anything about the concerns being raised regarding the issue, or met with any of the protestors.

The government remains undecided on the issue of banning Israeli passports, to date and has been refusing to give a direct response or clarify the reason for not banning Israeli passports.

Even after six months since coming into power, the incumbent administration has not taken a stand on banning Israeli passports.

A petition was filed with the incumbent administration, demanding to ban Israelis from entering the country as well as to implement a passport ban in the wake of the brutal attacks by Israel on the innocent civilians of Gaza.

However, the government is yet to give a clear answer in connection with the issue.

The People’s Majlis passed a resolution seeking to ban the import of all Israeli goods as well as the entry of Israeli nationals into the country, on 1 April 2024.

The bill seeking to defend the rights of Palestinian citizens, was passed at the parliament sitting held on April 1 and MP for Villingili constituency Saud Hussain proposed the bill back on 11 October 2023, calling to condemn Israel’s illegal occupation and inhumane attacks and genocide of the innocent Palestinian civilians, for an immediate ceasefire, to ensure the human rights of Palestinians are upheld, on Israeli armed forces to evacuate from the lands illegally snatched from the Palestinian people and demanding to recognize Palestine as an independent state.

The resolution aimed to let the world know the Maldives stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

It calls to end Israel’s military aggression against Palestinians, stop endeavors to take control of their lands, to condemn the vile genocide of Palestinian people in the strongest terms, to ensure the human rights of the Palestinian people are upheld, to sever any ties with Israel as well as to ban the import of any goods from Israel to the island nation.

It also pushes for the banning of Israeli tourists from the Maldives.

Maldives has and always will stand in steadfast solidarity with the people of Palestine, in their pursuit for an independent sovereign state of Palestine.

Maldives continues to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire of the crimes of genocide being committed by Israel.