Cabinet Spokesperson Dr Nalinda Jayatissa, clarified today (5 August) that the decision to grant visa-free entry to Israeli nationals was not influenced by internal pressure but was based solely on economic and tourism-related factors.

Responding to a question raised at the weekly Cabinet media briefing regarding reports that senior officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had lobbied the government to include Israel in the visa-free list, the minister dismissed such claims. He stated that the list of countries eligible for visa-free entry was compiled through the joint intervention of the Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism Ministries, based on the volume of tourist arrivals and the expected dollar revenue.

 “If you examine the list, it includes a range of countries. The selection was purely based on economic returns and the number of tourists visiting Sri Lanka. It’s quite clear.”

Commenting further, the minister noted that security arrangements for Israeli flights arriving in the country had been decided during the tenure of former Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva. However, since May last year, no Israeli airlines have flown into Sri Lanka.

Jayatissa added that discussions are currently ongoing about the possible resumption of Israeli flights to Sri Lanka later this year.

Addressing concerns over the presence of Israeli nationals in Arugam Bay, the minister said they are provided with security not due to their nationality, but because they are tourists — as is done for all foreign visitors in the country.

“The government only provides protection in its capacity to ensure the safety of tourists,” he explained. “If people are gathering in any area, whether they’re individual travellers or in groups, the state has a responsibility to protect them. There’s nothing unusual about it.”

He further noted that the police and armed forces have been deployed for this purpose, as is standard protocol in tourist-heavy areas.

“There’s been a visible increase in tourist arrivals, including from countries like Israel,” he said. “Regardless of their country of origin, the safety of all foreign tourists in Sri Lanka is a top priority for us.”