The Government says it has not granted approval for the establishment of ‘Synagogues’ by Israeli tourists in various parts of Sri Lanka.
Addressing the Parliament today, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya clarified that the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs or its departments have not granted such permission.
“These centres are not permitted. We will intervene in this matter very soon. However, we were prompted to provide them with security, following intelligence on the Arugam Bay incident. That is our country’s responsibility towards tourists, and not permission to set up illegal centres,” the Prime Minister explained.
Reiterating that the government has not given approval for such establishments, she revealed that discussions are underway, with the intervention of the Foreign Ministry, to address the matter and to halt its operations.
The Prime Minister further noted that a total of 25,514 Israelis visited Sri Lanka in 2024.
PM Amarasuriya also clarified that there are no laws in Sri Lanka that allow foreigners to arrive on tourist visas and engage in business activities.
“No laws in Sri Lanka allow people to arrive on tourist visas and engage in business activities. We have received information in this regard. This has become a common occurrence the world over. We have identified this as an issue,” she said.
The Prime Minister revealed that discussions are underway to address this matter and the government was looking at measures to halt such activities.
“The government has not issued any visa for Israelis to engage in business activities in Sri Lanka, especially under tourist visas. They are engaging in such activities by violating our laws,” she added.
Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya made the remarks in response to questions raised by Opposition MP Mujibur Rahman over the increasing activities of Israeli tourists in Sri Lanka. (Newswire)
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