Maldives in unity with a coalition of Arab and Muslim nations has condemned statements made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding his vision for a “Greater Israel”.
The “Greater Israel” concept supported by ultranationalist Israelis is understood to refer to an expansionist vision that lays claim to the occupied West Bank, Gaza, parts of Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and Jordan.
In a joint statement, Maldives, along with 30 Arab and Islamic Foreign Ministers and the Secretaries-General of the League of Arab States, the OIC, and the GCC, condemned the so-called “Vision of Greater Israel.”
The statement emphasises that this rhetoric violates international law and the UN Charter, undermining the Palestinian people’s inalienable rights to self-determination and to establish an independent, sovereign State on their own land, based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
It calls for the immediate cessation of all Israeli settlement activities, full humanitarian access to Gaza, the lifting of the blockade, and urgent measures to ensure regional peace, security, and stability.
Following the statement, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Abdulla Khaleel in a post on X reaffirmed Maldives’ steadfast support for Palestine and its commitment to a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace in the region.
The joint statement came a day after hundreds of people gathered in the capital Male’ echoing calls for an independent State of Palestine and to end the genocide in Gaza.
People of all ages, carrying placards and banners to voice their support for Palestine gathered at Maafannu Turf Grounds in the west of Male’, called on the international community
The movement part of the Global Sumud Flotilla campaigning to break the illegal siege on Gaza by sea, open a humanitarian corridor, and end the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people was mirrored in around 50 islands across the Maldives.
For eighteen months, the Maldives has consistently ranked among the most vocal nations on the Palestinian issue, especially the genocide in Gaza, issuing a substantial number of statements across international forums.
The government has backed its rhetoric with policy action, actively participating in three legal proceedings against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) while also imposing an official ban on entry for individuals holding Israeli passports, an unprecedented move underscoring its firm stance.