The president’s office noted that the Cabinet decided to change laws to prevent Israeli passport holders from entering the country and to “establish a subcommittee to oversee the process”.
Nearly 11,000 Israelis visit the Maldives every year, or 0.6 percent of the total tourist arrivals.
In response, Israel’s foreign ministry recommended that Israeli citizens not travel to the Maldives. The recommendation, the Israeli ministry added, includes Israelis with dual citizenship.
“For Israeli citizens already in the country, it is recommended to consider leaving, because if they find themselves in distress for any reason, it will be difficult for us to assist,” the ministry said in a statement.
The Maldives lifted a previous ban on Israeli tourists in the early 1990s and moved to restore relations in 2010. However, normalisation attempts were scuttled following the toppling of President Mohamed Nasheed in February 2012.
