COLOMBO : Deputy Speaker Dr.Rizvie Salih on Thursday;March 19 urged SRI Lankan government to support the Palestinian cause and requested to take preventive actions to curtail the unhealthy behaviour of Israeli tourists in Arugam Bay,where they are crossing their limits as tourists and spoiling the good name of Sri Lanka as a tourist destination !
Dr.Salih’s full speech is appended here
“ Honorable speaker, thank you very much for the time allocated for me to talk on today’s, committee of the whole parliament on finance, planning, and economic development.
As we know, honorable speaker, in order to bring this country from the bankruptcy and pathetic situation we are left with, we have earmarked tourism as one of the main avenues to generate income and foreign exchange for this country.
Our economic stablish stabilization depends on its tourism industry, for which we have ambitious plans and projects towards portraying our country as a preferred tourist destination to the world. However, honorable speaker, a very recent article on the Daily Mirror of eighteenth March two thousand twenty five, which titled the bane of overtourism and Israeli occupation of Sri Lanka, is indeed very disturbing.
It gave details of how Israeli tourists who come here on tourist visas, operate businesses outside our legal system and framework. They work work illegally on tourist visas and engage in physical encounters with other locals and foreigners. They have opened shops. They have opened restaurants. They have opened hotels for which the bookings are done on their in their own country.
We Sri Lankans do not it does not benefit to any significant extent our economy and our foreign exchange. News of such actions, of their violent behavior, is spreading the world over. You know, honorable speaker, Sri Lanka is a very sought after surfing destination. We have our beaches in the South in Hikadua, Hangama, while in Arugam Bay and other place in the East, we have beautiful beaches that are ideal for surfing. We have, in fact, three hundred and sixty five days of the year surf paradise here in Sri Lanka.
PpoThese Israeli tourists post
we have encountered and have received many complaints about how they dominate the surf, how they definite dominate the surf, and how they have unfriendly and violent predisposition to other surfers. When it comes to surfing, honorable speaker, there are etiquettes in surfing where they share the waves. We have also heard of how these stories from Israel, they dominate the surf, do not want other surfers there, so much so that a lot of surfers, I was told, and we would know, even this article goes on to say, that they are overlooking Sri Lanka in the future, will overlook Sri Lanka in the future as a surfing destination. Sri Lanka is known the world over for its land of for a land of smiling people and a haven of peace and tranquility. I would like honorable speaker to mention that this article even goes on to say that the influx of Israeli tourists started after 02/2024 because there are many countries in the world that prohibited them from coming into their own countries.
So that is one reason why they have chosen Sri Lanka. Also, that article goes on to say, quote, they are patronizing their own places. They dine at Israeli restaurants. They go for Israeli parties, stay at hotels run by Israelis. And since most of the money is siphoned off straight to Israel, Sri Lanka is not benefiting to any significant extent.
In fact, this article once again has a headline, bane of over tourism and i the occupation in Sri Lanka. Honourable Speaker, I would like to mention to you that this, the events that are unfolding in Gaza in recent times, one of the most catastrophic humanitarian crisis of our times is occurring now. I stand before this esteemed parliament today and to bring to the urgent attention of the renewed Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people in Gaza that began on March 19 following the breakdown of ceasefire negotiation. Honorable speaker, we are not witnessing not merely a military conflict, but an unprecedented assault on innocent civilian lives. According to the latest reports since the escalation of violence, 436 Palestinians have been killed in recent days and a significant portion being innocent civilians.
The breakdown includes at least 83 children, 94 elderly individuals, and 25 men with an additional six hundred and seventy eight individuals sustaining severe injuries. The coordinated strikes executed by Israeli forces have targeted 23 specific sites that have been previously designated as safe humanitarian zones. Honorable speaker, since October 2023, the Palestinian Ministry of Health has reported that at least forty nine thousand five hundred and forty seven Palestinians have been confirmed dead and hundred and twelve thousand seven hundred and nineteen wounded, meaning one of every fifty individuals in Gaza have been killed and one in every twenty wounded. The humanitarian situation had deteriorated beyond imagination. Medical infrastructure remains severely compromised with only 12 hospitals supported by UNFPA delivering services in Gaza.
We must acknowledge the gravity of this situation. There is pure genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Israeli has unleashed hell and destruction of Palestinians, brazenly continuing with total impunity. Honorable speaker, the rhetoric from Israeli official is deeply disturbing. The Israeli national security minister openly admitted that conditions in Israeli prisons have indeed worsened.
He had dismissed basic rights as perks for Palestinian detainees. Horrible people, Sri Lanka has historically been supportive of Palestine. Governments and leaders of the past have always maintained an attitude, a friendly attitude towards the people and the cause of the nation of Palestine. They have stood up for the rights of the Palestinian people. Today, we have in the leader of the house, honorable Bimal Rathnayake0iopo, the president of the Sri Lanka Palestinian Solidarity Association.
Likewise, past leaders of political parties that had the government in Sri Lanka have always been sympathetic, and they upheld the cause of the Palestinian people. When president Mohammed Abbas visited Sri Lanka in 02/2008 and 02/2010 02/2012, he expressed gratitude for our support towards Palestinian struggle for international recognition. Our nation supported the historic UN resolution enhancing Palestine status and continues to support the application for full UN membership. As I conclude, I urge this house to reaffirm Sri Lanka’s commitment to international humanitarian law and human rights. We must condemn the genocidal actions taking place in Gaza, Honorable Speaker.
Will immediately call for immediate ceasefire and also demand accountability for war crimes. Today, we see in Sri Lanka, Synagogues l mushrooming in all parts of the island. This has angered the local population. These are people who open businesses, who open cafes, who open hotels, coming on tourist visas. If this is left unchecked, we are again going to face a disastrous situation in our own land.
Our nation’s moral authority stems from One minute. Our nation’s moral support authority stems from our historical support for just causes. Let us stand united in solidarity with the Palestinian people and work towards a peaceful resolution that respects the dignity and rights of all. Let us take meaningful steps and actions that will, in the long term, benefit our nation, not just economically, but in its image as a compassionate, multicultural, multi ethnic land that stands up for those who are unable to do so themselves. Honorable speaker, once again, I would like to thank you for this time afforded to you to speak on this very important topic that is important to us Sri Lankans and the world as ua whole.
Thank you very much.
