Israeli tourists are doing illegal activities in Sri Lanka, enraging Sri Lankan people.
According to Bernama News Agency, Sri Lankans are highlighting illegal activities by Israeli tourists in the island nation following an American security alert about a potential attack in a key holiday spot.
Many people on social media pointed out that Israelis run unauthorised businesses in the Arugam Bay area and other places by flouting Sri Lankan laws and ownership rules.
“The illegal activities of certain Israeli business owners have persisted for far too long. Despite numerous appeals to various governments to put an end to this and ensure fair play, these requests have been ignored,” Rehan Jayawickreme, a politician belonging to the Samagi Jana Balawegaya party, said in a statement.
“Now, we are facing a serious security threat that could derail Sri Lanka’s tourism recovery efforts,” he said.
The United States embassy in Colombo on Wednesday (Oct 23) said it had “received credible information warning of an attack targeting popular tourist locations in the Arugam Bay area.” It asked US nationals to avoid the Arugam Bay area, which is popular with Israelis.
Apart from Arugam Bay, Sri Lankan police have beefed up security in places like Colombo, Ella and Weligama following the reports of possible threats to Israeli tourists.
This has now put the focus on the activities of Israelis in Sri Lanka.
“Why were Israeli nationals allowed to stay here, overstaying their visas, running unlawful businesses in the south?” asked Jamila Husain, editor-in-chief of Daily Mirror.
“Media reported this matter several times. But the Israeli community kept growing and growing. So much so that local businesses took a hit,” she said.
Arrivals from Israel in the first nine months of this year totalled 20,515 out of nearly 1.5 million foreign tourists, according to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA).
“It has come to our attention that a large number of Israeli citizens are currently residing in Sri Lanka without valid visas, I urge the government to immediately look into this,” former Western Province governor Azath Salley said.
He also expressed concern over Israelis setting up their “Chabad houses” next to mosques.
Israelis are also being criticised for behaving like “colonial settlers” and endangering the tourism industry’s revival in Sri Lanka.
Jayawickreme said the presence of heavy roadblocks in Weligama is making tourists apprehensive about their safety.
“To those Israelis fuelling this instability, let me make one thing clear: you cannot forcefully and illegally occupy our lands as you have done elsewhere.
You cannot conduct illegal business practices and ruin opportunities for others,” he said.
Some in Sri Lanka see the US embassy’s advisory as an attempt to blunt the demands by the local population to shut down illegal activities by Israelis.
Source: Bernama
