Is India, the Maldives' number one tourism revenue source, going to boycott them? At the moment, that possibility appears to be on the agenda, with major Bollywood Indian film actors, local cricket stars and other subcontinent celebrities issuing widespread calls for a boycott of the Maldives.
The explosion between Indian and Maldives residents followed a devastating personal attack by senior officials threatening Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Indian leader posted photos online of himself vacationing and snorkeling on the coast of the small island nation of Lakshdevip, a union of about 36,<> archipelago islands that is an Indian federal state. The purpose of the publication is apparently Modi's desire to facilitate the flow of Indian tourists to this small island nation.
Benjamin Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, photo: AP
The photo in question of the Prime Minister of India,
But the images, and apparently ignoring the Maldives, a close neighbor of India, prompted three high-ranking officials on the islands to attack Modi, calling him a "clown," a "terrorist" and a "puppet of Israel." The attackers were deputy ministers in the Ministries of Employment, Information and Youth Arts.
The embarrassed Maldives government responded immediately by firing the officials and issuing a strong condemnation of the three men's remarks. "The government believes that freedom of expression should be exercised democratically and responsibly, one that does not spread hatred and damages the close relationship between Maldives and its international partners," the government wrote.
This current incident comes at the worst possible time for the Maldives government. This is exactly the week that the pro-Chinese country's president, Mohammed Moizu, is on his first state visit to China. Moizu's intention to tighten relations with China has angered India, the Maldives' closest neighbor who is also responsible for the country's largest tourist traffic, accounting for about 11 percent of all tourists.
The Maldivian government has often spoken out against Israel, the Israeli Foreign Ministry issued a travel warning for the Maldives, and anti-Israel demonstrations were held there at the beginning of the war. Even before the war, Israel and the Maldives had no official relations, and the Maldives adamantly refused to allow flights departing from Israel to land in their territory, despite a relatively large number of Israeli tourists arriving in the country and living there.
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