MALE (Dispatches) – The Maldives has announced it will ban Israelis from entering the country as public anger rises over the war on Gaza.
President Mohamed Muizzu has “resolved to impose a ban on Israeli passports,” a spokesman for his office said in a statement, without giving details of when the new law would take effect.
In response, Israel’s foreign ministry recommended that its citizens not travel to the Maldives, including those 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,” it said.
In addition to banning Israeli passport holders, Muizzu’s cabinet also “decided to appoint a special envoy to assess Palestinian needs” and to launch a fundraising campaign “to assist our brothers and sisters in Palestine” with the help of UNRWA, the UN’s Palestinian relief agency.
Meanwhile, Pret A Manger has cancelled plans to open dozens of stores across Israeli-occupied territories after pro-Palestinian campaigners threatened a boycott.
The British sandwich shop was set to open 40 stores in the occupied territories by 2033 as part of a 10-year franchise deal with local partners Fox Group and Yarzin Sella Group.
However, in a statement to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange on 31 May, Fox Group said Pret A Manger had activated a “force majeure” clause, which allows a party to negate contractual obligations due to extreme and unforeseeable circumstances.
“We have taken the difficult decision to end our current agreement with Fox Group and Yarzin Sella Group,” a Pret A Manger spokesperson told World Coffee Portal.
“We tried to delay this decision for as long as possible, but the significant ongoing travel restrictions have meant that our teams have not been able to conduct the checks and training needed to set up Pret in a new market.”
Although the company did not cite boycott campaigns as a reason for the pullout, pro-Palestinian activists hailed the move as a victory.
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), which launched a campaign advocating a boycott of Pret A Manger over its planned operation in Israel, welcomed the news.
“This decision sends a message to all companies – if you provide support for Israel’s apartheid and genocide against Palestinians, you will face the strength of our movement who will boycott your products and protest at your stores,” the organization wrote on X, formerly Twitter.