Maldives Stance on Israel
The Maldives has been a firm supporter of Palestine. President Mohamed Muizzi expresses his condemnation of International Humanitarian Law violations from Israel’s side. Anti-Israeli sentiment is currently high in the Maldives.
GHRTV
12-02-2024
Dara Masita
Human Rights Researcher,
Global Human Rights Defence.
The Maldives has been a firm supporter of Palestine for decades. The relationship between the Maldives and Palestine officially started on April 4th, 1982. In light of the recent attacks from Israel, Maldives have been actively condemning their acts. President Mohamed Muizzu has stated that “The deliberate actions by the Israeli Defence Force are tantamount to war crimes and in complete violation of international humanitarian law (IHL).” He further calls on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to examine potential war crimes committed by the Israeli forces.
Several IHL violations from the side of Israel can be noted, such as indiscriminate attacks against the civilian population, non-compliance with the precautionary principle, and using starvation as a method of warfare. The Maldives people and government are vehemently against such attacks.
Anti-Israel sentiments in the Maldives are strong. It prompted the Israeli Foreign Ministry to warn their nationals to refrain from visiting the Maldives and to leave if they are there. Furthermore, the Maldives are contemplating to issue a travel ban for those with Israeli passports. The relationship between the two nations has not been the friendliest. They used to have diplomatic ties from 1965 to 1974 but never continued them.
Overall, the Maldives' unwavering support for Palestine and condemnation of Israel's recent actions reflect a longstanding commitment to justice and adherence to international humanitarian law. As the Maldives takes a stand for justice and human rights, it underscores the importance of international cooperation to ensure accountability for those who violate established norms and principles.
Sources and further reading:
Necva Tastan, “Maldives seeks war crimes probe against Israel over attacks on Gaza” (AA, 2023) <https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/maldives-seeks-war-crimes-probe-against-israel-over-attacks-on-gaza/3067791#> accessed 14 February 2024.
“Damning evidence of war crimes as Israeli attacks wipe out entire families in Gaza” (Amnesty, 2023) <https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/10/damning-evidence-of-war-crimes-as-israeli-attacks-wipe-out-entire-families-in-gaza/> accessed 14 February 2024.
“Israel: Starvation Used as Weapon of War in Gaza” (Human Rights Watch, 2023) <https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/12/18/israel-starvation-used-weapon-war-gaza> accessed 15 February 2024.
“Foreign Ministry issues travel warning for the Maldives” (Times of Israel, 2023) <https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/foreign-ministry-issues-travel-warning-for-the-maldives/> accessed 15 February 2024.
“Maldives mulling travel ban on Israelis amid Gaza war” (Times of Israel, 2024) <https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/maldives-mulling-travel-ban-on-israelis-amid-gaza-war/> accessed 15 February 2024.
