TRAVEL ADVISORY FOR THE MALDIVES OVER STATE-SPONSORED ANTISEMITISM
April 17, 2025
As a result of the Maldives government’s discriminatory decision to ban all Israeli passport holders, nearly 9.8 million people, the Simon Wiesenthal Center is issuing a formal travel advisory urging Jews and all people of principle to avoid travel to the Maldives until this policy is reversed.
“Barring Israelis from visiting the Maldives is not a legitimate response to policy disagreements with Israel; it is a form of collective punishment,” said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Director of Global Social Action at the Simon Wiesenthal Center. “This is state-sponsored antisemitism. We are calling on all people of conscience, regardless of faith or nationality, to stand in solidarity and boycott travel to the Maldives.”
By selectively imposing a standard only on the Jewish state, the Maldives is engaging in the very definition of discrimination and setting a dangerous precedent of governmental antisemitism. This is not a legitimate political protest; it is an attack on Jewish identity and statehood.
“Such a policy is a stark reminder that antisemitism remains alive and well on the world stage. It must be called out, condemned, and challenged wherever it appears,” Rabbi Cooper added.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center will continue to monitor developments and advocate for the reversal of this discriminatory ban.
For further information, please email Erik Simon at esimon@wiesenthal.com, Deborah Camiel at dcamiel@wiesenthal.com, join the Center on Facebook, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent directly to your Twitter feed.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center is an international Jewish human rights organization. It holds consultative status at the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the OAS, and the Latin American Parliament (PARLATINO).
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