A bill is due to be proposed to the US Congress to suspend American aid to the Maldives after the Maldivian government decided to amend laws to bar entry to the country with an Israeli passport.
The government decided to ban the Israeli passport over the genocide of the Palestinian people. It came after calls from the Maldivian public for the past six months.
Democrats Representative Josh Gottheimer decided to submit a bill to the lower house of Congress over the decision. He is one of the foremost defenders of Israel and supporters of the genocide in the American Congress.
Citing Gottheimer, the US-based Axios reported that other members of the ruling Democrats are also working with Gottheimer on the bill to be proposed in the name of “Protecting Allied Travel Here.”
"Taxpayer dollars shouldn't be sent to a foreign nation that has banned all Israeli citizens from traveling to their country. Not only is Israel one of our greatest democratic allies, but the Maldives' unprecedented travel ban is nothing but a blatant act of Jew hatred,” Gottheimer said in a statement.
The Maldives should not get a single cent of American dollars until the decision to ban the Israel passport is reversed, Gottheimer said. He is also among those who advocate the most in Congress for providing military assistance to Israel.
Gottheimer also recently criticised the International Criminal Court (ICC) over a court order issued against Israel’s leaders over the genocide.
The Republicans currently control a majority of the lower house of the American Congress. However, most members of the two major American parties work together on the Israel issue. Therefore, it is likely that Gottheimer’s bill against the Maldives could be passed.
Despite the efforts to suspend American aid to the Maldives for banning the Israel passport, support has been pouring in for the Maldives from the global public, including from most Islamic countries and America as well.
Many people have been noting on social media that the step taken by the Maldives for the sake of Palestinians was courageous despite the country’s small size.
Following the Maldives’ decision, Israel urged all its citizens in the Maldives to leave and to avoid travelling to the country.
Citing Israel's Foreign Ministry, the Times of Israel reported that Israelis currently in the Maldives were advised to leave "because if they find themselves in distress for any reason, it will be difficult for us to assist.”
About 10,966 Israeli tourists visited the Maldives in 2023, representing 0.58 percent of total tourist arrivals. More than 500 tourists from the country visited the Maldives in the first four months of this year.
More than 36,000 Palestinians have been killed in the genocide launched by Israel on October 7, 2023. Most of the dead were women and children. More than 10,000 people have gone missing and more than 81,000 people have been injured in Israeli attacks.
