The Maldives has banned entry into the country by holders of Israeli passports. They say this is in ‘solidarity with the Palestinian cause’ but it is really about Jews.
The action covers the 21% of Israelis who are Palestinian as well as Israeli Jews. But it’s the simplest and easiest way for them to ban Jews. The fact that they were also banning Palestinian citizens of Israel delayed the ban but in the end they decided keeping out Israeli Jews was worth it.
- This isn’t about protecting Palestinians. The Syrian civil war displaced over 400,000 Palestinians. The Maldivian government did not take action or speak out over this. It is about Jews. (And they did not ban Hamas leadership residing in Qatar, either.)
- This isn’t about protesting policy. The ban is not on Israeli officials. It is banning all citizens of the Jewish state.
One Mile at a Time writes,
Israel had a horrible terrorist attack committed against it on October 7, 2023, and Hamas is a terrorist organization. But it’s also tragic how many people have died in Gaza, particularly women and children, and it’s fair to question whether the military operation over the past 18+ months has been the path that minimizes the loss of life, and creates as prosperous of an outcome for all as possible.
According to Hamas, about half of deaths are men of fighting age. They do not distinguish between terrorists and civilians. A 1:1 ratio would make the Israeli response one of the most surgical in military history. U.S. military action in Iraq may have led to 10 civilian deaths for every combatant.
But let me rewrite part of this for Lucky, “it’s also tragic how many people have died in Gaza” because of Hamas. If you can’t say that whole sentence, at least answer what you believe Israel should do instead?
Does Israel have a right to exist as a Jewish state? Many would argue that the entirety of the land (“from the river to the sea”) should be Palestinian, with Jews cleansed of the area. That is the goal of Hamas. Leaving them in power means they continue to fight for this goal.
If you believe Israel shouldn’t exist as a Jewish state, should Arab states be permitted to exist? If you think Israel should be permitted to exist, then how should they ensure their security against a force on their border that wants them dead? For that matter what should the U.S. do about the Americans still held hostage in Gaza?
Arab countries did nothing for Palestinian sovereignty when they controlled Gaza, the West Bank and Golan Heights until the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. Egypt, Jordan, and Syria could have declared one and did not. In fact, Israel is the only country ever to grant sovereignty to Palestinians.
Palestinians would have been better off with the UN partition plan in 1947 that Arab states rejected; with a state that was offered 20 years later; with the Clinton plan in 2000; and with Ehud Olmert’s plan. All were rejected.
Each time, Hamas sabotaged peace, launching scores of suicide bombings. Hamas does not want a compromise with a peaceful two state solution and they’ve blocked one for decades. They have caused an entire generation of Palestinian suffering, trading it for the hope of destruction of Jews.
Ehud Olmert offered 94% of the West Bank, with pre-1967 buffer zones split in half and a land swap of the balance from pre-1967 borders (involving land Israel acquired for its security after it was invaded). While Israel would exit small settlements in these areas, their own politics would not allow them to exit Gush Etzion, Ma’ale Adumim and Ariel hence the need for land swap, giving up land near Afula-Tirat Tzvi, Lachish, Har Adar, Judean desert.
The Ehud Olmert offer, developed with the Palestinian Authority over two years, included ceding sovereignty over the holy basin in Jerusalem which includes sites of importance to Muslims, Christians and Jews – to be jointly administered by a group of nations including the Palestinian state. And they offered an international fund for Palestinians. Palestine would have been precluded from entering into a military agreement with a government that does not recognize Israel
Israeli Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin was assassinated for offering much less. Yet Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas rejected the deal. Hamas attacked Israel. Where is the Maldivian peace plan?
I imagine that Jews, being told by the Maldives they aren’t wanted, will tend to stay away even if they hold passports from other countries (such as the United States). Mission accomplished! And I don’t imagine we’ll hear hotel chains with business in the Maldives speaking out, like Marriott, IHG, Hilton or Hyatt. In the meantime, there’s always Bora Bora.
Religious people fighting over holy land.
We have one life in this world and that’s how you choose to live it? Fighting over holy land?
Okay. Have fun with that.
Banning entry with an Israeli passport excludes not even 50% of Jews. It does cover 100% of Israeli voters. Apparently at least 50% of them support war crimes.
Gary,
This has to be one of your most well-spoken posts in a long time. I just hope you have an asbestos suit ready for the pro-Hamas/anti-Semitic folks who are about to come out of the woodwork to flame you to no end.
@Christopher Raehl – it covers nearly 50% of Jews, and effectively excludes many more by making clear they are unwelcome. ‘not even 50% of Jews’ is quite something of a justification.
Impeccable timing for the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
BRAVO
Oh boy here we go on comments. Personally I can see both sides. My wife’s cousins were saved from the Holocaust by getting to Palestine in the ’30s but the area has had a lot of other owners since the First Revolt. And arguably Israel is demographically, environmentally and economically unsustainable. And today it certainly is not the state its founders envisioned in 1948. But I will say that the people of Gaza have had even less hope than those of the West Bank, whose land and water are being nibbled away by fanatics. So if you put a couple of million people in a giant cage it is not surprising that some will act like animals. Glad I saw the place, glad I’m out of it.
And here I was just looking at flights to the Maldives. While I’m not jewish (mormon), we’ve taken the Maldives off the list.
Thank you for posting this.
Thank you, Gary. Looks like Bora Bora it is .
SWING AND A MISS, as usual for this site. You are easily one of the most clueless people on politics, and it’s shocking.
“Because of what this country is doing, we are banning its citizens, no matter their religion.”
Gary: “It’s about a certain religion and not about politics.”
Get a clue.
Well done Gary!!
The population of the Maldives is 98.7% Muslim, so what would anybody expect from a bunch of Jew-haters.
In fact Gary (I know, you want your own facts but those aren’t real), this will only exclude roughly 40% of Jewish people. 55% of Jewish people live outside of Israel and roughly another 10% of Jewish people who live in Israel have another passport they can travel on. This ban is the simplest way to exclude most Israelis (90%), not most Jewish people, because the Maldives government has a problem with the Israeli government’s actions, not because they have a problem with people of the Jewish faith.
I’ve never understood the fascination with the Maldives. You go to one hotel, then are a captive audience. “Free” rapidly becomes “outrageously expensive”. Why, it’s almost like influencers are bribed with a trip to say nice things, to bring in the rubes willing to pay $500/day for meals.
There are a lot of places that are Maldives-like on the plus side without being the Maldives on the negative side.
And I’ll be avoiding Qatar Airlines as well, thank you very much.
Few people know this, but the Maldives is actually the top source country for fighters in ISIS on a per capita basis. The beautiful resorts in the Maldives are wonderful, but on some of the non-touristy islands there is unfortunately a growing cultural darkness. Were it not for the geographic separation between the islands the Maldives would likely not be as safe to visit and would instead be similar to Sri Lanka. It is sad that the Maldives has chosen to collectively “punish” all Israelis.
As to the Israel-Hamas war I think it is important to seperate out means from the ends. A country can be fighting a war for a just cause (like I believe Israel has been doing after the October 7 attack) but do so in a way that is dishonorable or even appalling. We were justified in fighting the Nazis and Japan in World War II after the attack on Pearl Harbor, but I still recoil in horror when I read about the civilian fire bombing attacks on cities like Dresden and Tokyo. Innocent civilians were indiscriminately burned alive, just as they have been in Gaza.
There is a common tendency to flatten the identities of foreigners during war and to tie them to the hatred and evil of their country’s leadership. Doing so eliminates their individuality and ignores the fact that they may in fact strongly oppose the actions of the leadership. There were pacifists and peace activists even in Nazi Germany, just as there have been Christian peace activists opposed to Hamas in Gaza (which is home to several of the oldest Christian churches, several of which have been deliberately targeted by the IDF). Many German pacifists chose to face execution rather than fight for Hitler. Should we scapegoat them for the misfortune of being born in the wrong country?
Likewise, I agree with Israel’s justification for the war but am appalled by how its leadership (at the behest of extremists like Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir) has prosecuted it in practice by failing to spare civilians (even trying to starve them by refusing food envoys). Bdn-Gvir and Smotrich are the 21st century equivalent to Lord Cherwell.
@farnorthtrader – this excludes nearly half of Jews directly, but effectively far more because it clearly communicates Jews are not welcome.
I guess it depends on the context (ha, Ha), right farnorthtrader ?
who cares…
Theyre going to be underwater in a few years. (fires up 5 burner grill)
No Gary, it clearly communicates that Israelis are not welcome. If you feel like you are not welcome, that is in your own mind and your own heart, it is not in coherence with the actual facts of the ban.
Kind of reminds me of when Trump banned entry to the US for people from six predominantly Muslim countries during his first term. Whatever the reasons, the message was clear.
Not trying to engage in whataboutism as much as I’m trying to point out how whether or not you support the action is a matter of perspective and your core beliefs.
Thank you for reporting on this, Gary. It’s really disappointing. The Maldives is one of the most beautiful destinations on Earth. Yet, this stance, excluding groups of people, based on culture, religion, politics, etc., just feels wrong. Not to mention, that country’s economy is primarily tourism-based, these days. To be so un-welcoming when hospitality is your livelihood…it’s odd. So, sadly, I would not recommend it if you are in a group that their government is irrationally targeting, namely, Jewish people, Israelis, and homosexuals, etc. It’s wrong. It’s bad for business. It’s inhumane. Don’t take the risk Unfortunately, I could say the same for other places, too. *sigh*
Well stated Gary, thank you.
@C_M: There is, apparently, a thriving local tourist scene on many populated islands in the Maldives where there are hotels and guesthouses for well under $100, reasonably priced restaurant meals, and welcoming local people. I did a quick search on one of the booking sites for a random night in May, limiting to only places with a 9 or better rating (out of 10) and $110 per night, and found 407 options.
@LarryinNYC – Yes, I’m aware, but no one ever writes about that. As much as I like luxury, the other seems more my speed. I’m more of a get up and explore traveller rather than a sit in a bubble one. I’m the guy who had to find a Roman quarry on Sardinia (used to build the Pantheon) and walked across a nice beach to get there.
@farnorthtrader —> Sorry, but in this instance @Gary is correct. Although banning all holders of Israeli passports DOES NOT include 100 percent of the world’s Jewish population (and includes 100% of the Israeli Arabs), this is a clear message to Jews the world over that they are NOT WELCOME to visit the Maldives. From an economic standpoint, the government of the Maldives seems willing to cut off their nose to spite their face — the dollars, euros, pesos, or shekels held in Jewish wallets are just as valuable as those found in Christian, Muslim, and atheists’ wallets. From a political viewpoint, this does nothing to support “the Palestinian cause.” Israeli citizens of Muslim or Christian beliefs are also banned. (I’m not even going to get into the Hamas argument — “one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.” That may have been true back in the day when civilians were innocent bystanders and not deliberate targets.)
Fortunately for me, personally, I don’t scuba dive, don’t snorkel and am not the biggest fan of lying on the beach, so the Maldives have never been high on my aspirational list — different strokes for different folks. Nonetheless, it’s one more example of the world’s increasing embrace of Fascist policies. Maybe the Maldive authorities would let Jews visit on the condition they sew a yellow star to their clothing…
Maldives is a Racist nation. I put them on my “Never Visit” list.
Very well said, Gary. The Maldives are certainly off my list from here on.
Incredibly eloquent. Bravo. I ask anyone who disagrees and wants for to stand up for the ‘oppressed’ to take a trip to a normal Maldivian island next time they are over there and then draw their own conclusions.
well said, Gary. And thanks for keeping tabs on this.
“If you can’t say that whole sentence, at least answer what you believe Israel should do instead?”
This is where someone suggests an idea and then you say “but the Palestinians would never agree to that” or some other whataboutist deflection and then the argument goes around in circles as it has since this conflict began. The solution ultimately probably requires both of the parties at the table (both in very extremist forms at the moment) to show vulnerability and allow concessions which is seems incredibly unlikely. Treating Israel as a pariah state for blanket atrocities in the name of defeating an unquestionably evil entity is not anti-semitic in itself, however in this particular instance it probably is, since the Islamic world as complicit as the pro-Israel people in terms of providing aid via black-and-white lip service rather than anything constructive.
Any county committing genocide should have its citizens barred from entry. You act outraged because it’s the Maldives, which is Muslim and has truly serious internal issues (which is the why I’ve never had a desire to visit, unlike you). You will need to hedge your response when the 2nd, 3rd and 4th country start barring Israelis. Enjoy your blog, but this is a deserved prohibition.
Well done Gary!
Fantastic. Could not have said it better myself. Do not be afraid to speak the truth; this is why your readership numbers have been soaring. Keep it up!
@christopher raehl
Just because your mother is a whore does not mean 50 pct of mothers are whore…
Get your math right
@troy — Yikes. That’s not a good standard. If we (in the USA) were judged on how we are treating others (renditioning innocents to foreign black sites, drone strikes, etc.), then we, Americans, would be barred from visiting many places, too. Is that really what you want? Maybe it is; like, maybe you hate traveling aboard. But, if you are rational, perhaps, a better method is not prejudge an entire group, whether it’s by citizenship, ethnicity, religion, culture, etc. After all, these groups are far more nuanced, and some within them likely do not even support their government’s official stances on matters. Anyway, there are better ways to choose who you welcome and who you do not. For instance, it would be understandable if a country barred ‘convicted felons’. Then again, perhaps it depends on what the crime was (some countries falsely accuse their political opponents as criminals when for all intents and purposes they are objectively harmless). Some can even be President! Bah!
Well siad. Maldives are a small archipelago on the fringe of the Indian Ocean, attracting largely sub-continent and Gulf patronage. It is upmarket but beige. The same ‘flop and drop’ destinations can be found all over the globe. Why subsidise a state that discriminates against others while it inexplicably imperils its major export – tourism? It’s just racism.
@troy…define genocide please. Consider ‘From the river to the sea’.
Thanks for writing about this Gary. One less country on my bucket list. Didn’t they have a spat with India too?
Cue all the idiots here spewing Hamas propaganda. Although, I don’t blame them seeing as all the media seemingly gets their paychecks straight from Hamas (or, to be accurate, their benefactor, Qatar). The claim that Israel is doing something outrageous in Gaza is simply false, and Hamas propaganda. Hamas is the one who booby trapped 90% of Gaza’s houses. Hamas is the one who uses hospitals, schools, mosques, and churches (those are against their will, the others happily go along with it) for their military purposes. The numbers are inflated (repeats of terrorists killed in previous flare ups, including natural deaths, fictional people, etc.). There has never been an urban conflict with a lesser civilian to militant casualty ratio in history, even according to the demonstrably false Hamas propaganda, yet people are stupid enough to repeat stupid slogans such as “genocide” which is an affront to real conflicts where real genocide is occuring, even as we speak, such as Sudan.
The Jews are not going anywhere, no matter how hard anyone tries, as the Passover holiday that we are currently celebrating demonstrates. No matter the hate, no matter the numbers, no matter the power, the Jewish people will always survive and thrive. If you want to be smart, don’t join the hordes of anti semites happy to swallow any obvious lie about Jews. It just won’t work out for you in the end.
Note to Gary: please publish my comment. You seem to be pretty selective with mine, although you seem to give much leeway to other commenters here who post very horrible things.
Although I had interest in Maldives I was concerned about humidity and mosquitoes and put it on hold..Also as others state your captive with limited expensive dining options
It seems like fun otherwise however after reading this I won’t ever consider it again
I trust Gary and this seems unacceptable with what they are doing.
There are enough other destinations to keep me happy the rest of my life.