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.
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