By: Maldivesroyalfamily.com
The State of Israel was the first country to send an ambassador to Malé after the United Kingdom relinquished control over Maldive external relations. The ambassador of the Jewish State presented his credentials at the Eterekoilu to His Majesty King Mohamed Farid in 1965.
This made the Maldives the first Muslim country to recognise the State of Israel and establish diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level.
The Chief Justice of the time, Mohamed Jameel Didi, who was, ex officio, the chief Islamic cleric, made a representation to the King advising His Majesty not to receive the Israeli ambassador. The King did not receive his advice. As Jameel Didi's constitutional role precluded him from interfering with political decisions, he was persuaded to resign. Subsequently the old office of chief cleric which combined judicial and Islamic functions was disbanded and the judiciary modernised.
The Maldives withdrew recognition from the Jewish State in the late 1970's under pressure from a cell of pseudo-Islamic activists who were students at Egypt's al-
Azhar medrasah (Islamic seminary) in the 1950's and 1960's. By the late 1970's some members of this cell had manoeuvred their way to positions of influence with the backing of oil-rich Arab states. One of them was Jameel Didi's son (click to see genealogical note). A quarter of a century on, the cell still clings on to power.
Battle lines were drawn in the Malé tea shops during the 1967 war that saw Israel re-capturing its ancient capital of Jerusalem along with the remainder of the Promised Land that was still not under its rule. A speciality at a popular tea shop was a Maldive cake called misuru boakibaa which literally meant Egyptian cake. A rival tea shop introduced a cake called isuraailu boakibaa- Israeli cake. The outcome of the war made the Israel cake go up in popularity.
This made the Maldives the first Muslim country to recognise the State of Israel and establish diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level.
The Chief Justice of the time, Mohamed Jameel Didi, who was, ex officio, the chief Islamic cleric, made a representation to the King advising His Majesty not to receive the Israeli ambassador. The King did not receive his advice. As Jameel Didi's constitutional role precluded him from interfering with political decisions, he was persuaded to resign. Subsequently the old office of chief cleric which combined judicial and Islamic functions was disbanded and the judiciary modernised.
The Maldives withdrew recognition from the Jewish State in the late 1970's under pressure from a cell of pseudo-Islamic activists who were students at Egypt's al-
Azhar medrasah (Islamic seminary) in the 1950's and 1960's. By the late 1970's some members of this cell had manoeuvred their way to positions of influence with the backing of oil-rich Arab states. One of them was Jameel Didi's son (click to see genealogical note). A quarter of a century on, the cell still clings on to power.
Battle lines were drawn in the Malé tea shops during the 1967 war that saw Israel re-capturing its ancient capital of Jerusalem along with the remainder of the Promised Land that was still not under its rule. A speciality at a popular tea shop was a Maldive cake called misuru boakibaa which literally meant Egyptian cake. A rival tea shop introduced a cake called isuraailu boakibaa- Israeli cake. The outcome of the war made the Israel cake go up in popularity.
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