PM says govt. has not granted Israeli tourists permission to establish synagogues

By Saman Indrajith

Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman raised concerns in Parliament yesterday about operations of Israel’s national intelligence agency, Mossad, in Sri Lanka. He warned that they posed a serious threat to the country’s national security.

“Mossad’s presence in Sri Lanka will never be a good thing. It is a direct threat to our national security,” Rahuman said during the ‘Ask the PM’ question session in Parliament.

Rahuman alleged that Mossad agents were establishing Israeli cultural and religious centres, including synagogues, across the country, with permission from the Ministry of Defence. STF security had been provided to them, he claimed.

According to Rahuman, several such centres had already been built or were under construction in areas with a considerable Muslim presence such as Weligama, Dehiwala and Colombo.

“There is no issue with setting up synagogues if we had Jewish communities here. But Sri Lanka does not have a significant Jewish population to justify this. This is Mossad’s involvement,” Rahuman claimed.

This development jeopardizes our international relations and undermine our long-standing position on Palestine,” he warned.

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya said that the government had not granted approval for the establishment of ‘synagogues’ by Israeli tourists.

She said that the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, or its Departments, had 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 said.

Reiterating that the government had not given approval for such establishments, the PM revealed that discussions were underway to address the matter.

The Prime Minister noted that a total of 25,514 Israelis visited Sri Lanka in 2024.

“No laws in Sri Lanka allow foreigners to come here on tourist visas and engage in business activities. This has become a common occurrence the world over. We have identified this as an issue,” she said.