Israel News

Israel and Indonesia, world’s largest Muslim state, scrap mutual ban on tourist visas

Israel reversed its ban on Indonesian tourists entering the country after Jakarta agreed to lift its prohibition on visas to Israelis.

By: World Israel News Staff

Israel canceled its ban on Indonesian tourists entering the country after Jakarta agreed to lift its moratorium on issuing visas to Israelis, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

Indonesia, in protest of the IDF’s killing of Palestinians while defending its border with Gaza from Hamas-led riots, announced last month that it will no longer issue visas for Israelis in group tours. Israel responded by announcing a prohibition against Indonesian tourists. However, that ban never took affect.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Emmanuel Nahshon tweeted Wednesday morning that following “silent” contacts between the countries through international channels, “visa restrictions on Indonesian tourism to Israel were lifted, in parallel to lifting of restrictions by Indonesia on Israeli tourists. Good news.”

Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim country, does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, and support for the Palestinians there is strong.

Braving criticism back home, Yahya Staquf, secretary general of the 60-million member Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia’s largest Muslim organization, visited Israel this month as a guest of the American Jewish Committee, a US advocacy group that was holding a major conference in Jerusalem.

Share
Published by
Aryeh Savir
Tags: Indonesia Israel tourism Israel-Gaza border Yahya Staquf

Recent Posts

  • World News

Gaza-born pro-terror Israel critic launches Senate bid challenging Fetterman

Ahmed Moor, who has defended Hamas attacks on Israel, is now setting his sights on…

26 minutes ago
  • Videos

WATCH: IRGC unveils massive underground missile city

Iran unveiled a new IRGC underground missile city, with top military chiefs touring the site…

38 minutes ago
  • World News

US evacuates military aircraft from second British base following Iranian threat

Following intelligence suggesting Iran may be plotting an attack, US military relocates multiple aircraft from…

2 hours ago
  • Jewish Diaspora & Antisemitism

Philadelphia Jewish leaders encouraged by counter-response to ‘boycott bike ride’

Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro called the boycott 'blatant antisemitic targeting of Jewish-owned restaurants on the anniversary…

2 hours ago
  • Israel News

Israeli soccer clubs team up to help wounded veterans rebuild their lives

Approximately 250 IDF soldiers are currently participating in the program.

2 hours ago
  • World News

Trump: Iran war is ‘effectively over,’ but troops to remain in region

The president described the war as 'ending quickly' while ruling out an immediate U.S. military…

2 hours ago