Whoops. Mossad Agents sent to prison, NZ cuts dip ties with Israel

[Frozzy]

The government is suspending all diplomatic ties with Israel after two of its citizens were sentenced to six months jail for passport fraud.

Eli Cara and Urie Kelman, who are suspected of being Israeli spies, pleaded guilty last month to trying to obtain false New Zealand passports.

Helen Clark has described the case as a serious attempt to undermine the New Zealand passport system.

"We regard it as an unfriendly action by agents of the government of Israel aimed at undermining New Zealand's sovereignty and certainly breaching international law," says Clark.

She says three months ago the New Zealand government asked the Israeli government for an explanation and an apology, but they have received neither.

Clark says from Thursday the New Zealand government is suspending all high level visits and exchanges with Israel, and that any Israeli officials wanting to come to New Zealand will have to get visas.

She says the government we will not be rapidly agreeing to the appointment of a new Israeli ambassador, will put constraints on official dealings with Israeli honorary consuls, and will not be accepting the Israeli approach to have its president visit New Zealand in August.

"We are taking a very dim view of this and we look forward at some point to the Israeli government swallowing its pride and offering the explanation and apology we've asked for."

Kelman, 31, and Cara, 50, captured international attention when it was revealed they could have links to the Israeli secret service, Mossad.

On Thursday Justice Potter imposed the six month terms and ordered the pair to each pay $50,000 reparation to the Cerebral Palsy Society. The man whose identity they used to obtain a passport has cerebral palsy.

The pair made multiple visits to New Zealand over the past nine months in the attempt to obtain a New Zealand passport.

They were working with two others when they were caught.

A passport officer became suspicious that Cara's foreign accent didn't match the anglo-saxon name on the application.

David Philp of the Department of Internal Affairs says the case shows their systems are effective, and has again highlighted the international value of a New Zealand passport.

Police followed the passport's delivery through central Auckland. It led them to Cara, who was waiting for its arrival at a nearby cafe.

After arresting Cara police went with the package to where Kelman was waiting. He was caught throwing away his phone, which was used in a series of calls to Cara.

Political experts believe Israeli spy agency Mossad has spread its operations further afield into the South Pacific to keep pace with global terrorism.

It is known that Cara's Israeli home is in a wealthy neighbourhood popular with intelligence personnel.

Israeli TV intelligence correspondent Ben David says if they are Mossad agents then the case is very embarrassing for Israel.

"They'll learn from this exercise. They'll try to work out a different way of approaching things in the future," he says.

http://tvnz.co.nz/view/news_national...51?format=html

Israel is also miffed that the story is getting so much media coverage. When Mossad spies operated in the US and Canada it was generally swept under the carpet by Canadian and US governments. Not here, obviously.

[mrmitchell]

Hasn't Israel and Ntotally Zawesome had issues before? Specifically over Mossad, IIRC?

[Vince278]

< It is known that Cara's Israeli home is in a wealthy neighbourhood popular with intelligence personnel. >

[BeBro]

Those Anti-Semititatetis! *hides*

[dannubis]

the israeli governement ?
giving acount for its actions ?
appologizing ?

[Vince278]

New Zealand hiding any WMD?

[Az]

This is really weird on part of you guys. Israel has always took responsibility when our agents were caught in other places. Think Jordan, Think Switzerland, Think Cyprus. If agents were captured, we always acknowledeged that they were our agents.

Keep whining about Israel .

[rendelnep]

well there was that ring....... Actually to be honest we just feel that we should let anyone push us over - especially after the rainbow warrior incident. This labour government won't make the same mistake.

[Kuciwalker]

Why would anyone bother to infiltrate NZ?

[rendelnep]

bugger if I know, NZ is tiny on the world stage (unless you are tuvalu or tonga or fiji)

[Pekka]

Kuciwalker, not trying to speculate why this would happen, but NZ passport is always good. If you want to operate on some country, NZ passport would be good if you need fake ID. The part that's weird is that why wouldn't Israeli intelligence just do the passports. I guess the reason is they wanted 'real' passports, as if you get checked out and contacted to NZ, with a real passport there is no problem. Just think if you had fake passport, be it very authentic looking, it still wouldn't match with the NZ officials. But when you have real passport, then it checks out, then you have someone elses identity and that could come handy depending what you want to do.

Were these people agents or not, that I don't know. But real passports are better than fakes, even if the fake ones look very authentic.

[MrWhereItsAt]

I should clarify a couple of things.

First although PM Clark has said there are strong indications of links to Mossad, there are not proven links (but then could you prove it, unless they cooperated? ).

Second is the reason such a reaction was felt deserved. What these two ( three, four, however many there) were doing is trying to fraudulently obtain an NZ passport. NZ is known internationally as a staunch UN-supporter and our passports give us a certain degree of protection due to our governments' stances on a variety of issues where eg Americans, Brits, Australians or, say, Israelis, might not be treated so leniently. If it was found that NZ passports could be acquired by those who were not eligible, or worse, by agents for another power, then that instantly means a degradation of the reputation of our passports, and the possible endangerment of Kiwis abroad. It is the NZ government's duty to defend NZ's citizens and the country's reputation, and this would have been one of the worst offences against that for some time.

What makes it worse is that these guys were trying to get a passport using the name of a wheel-chair bound NZer suffering frm Bell's Palsy syndrome, who was unable to stop them from what they were doing. B*astards.

Also, take note that when these guys were caught three months ago, the NZ government contacted the Israeli government for an explanation and/or apology. There has been no such communication, thus leading to today's decision.

At first I thought Helen's actions were a bit harsh, but having thought about it a little, and having heard that there was no proper response from the Israeli government, I think they are justified. Hopefully this will be cleared up soon, but it should be noted that no-one f***s with our reputation.

[Agathon]

Execute the scum.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Azazel
This is really weird on part of you guys. Israel has always took responsibility when our agents were caught in other places. Think Jordan, Think Switzerland, Think Cyprus. If agents were captured, we always acknowledeged that they were our agents.

Keep whining about Israel .

We will, as long as you keep stealing our ****ing passports etc.

Don't think that I've forgotten that 2 Mossad agents committed murder in Norway while travelling under false Canadian passports.

[KrazyHorse]

And good for NZ.

These are not the sort of games which friendly nations play on one another. Israel needs to clean up its ****ing act and stop behaving like the rules don't apply to it.

[Az]

EDIT: Puh-lease. The KGB killed a guy in the gulf. in a friendly nation. That's the sort of **** that goes on in that bussiness.

[KrazyHorse]

No, not like everbody else. Think again, sweetheart. When was the last time you heard about the Americans, the French, the British etc. getting caught with fake passports and using them to commit illegal acts in a third country?

So stop acting like everybody else does it, because we don't.

[Az]

EDIT: DP.

[Az]

The French sunk that Greenpeace ship, for example. I think that was a bit more offensive that just stealing the passport of the nation. And that's like a huge eyesore of a case that jumps to mind. I am certain that there are a lot more other cases. So we have Russians, and French doing this, and these are examples of the top of my head.

[Solver]

We don't act like everyone else does, we act as we see fit .

Though I have no idea why specifically Canadian passports are a favorite of Mossad.

[Cruddy]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
No, not like everbody else. Think again, sweetheart. When was the last time you heard about the Americans, the French, the British etc. getting caught with fake passports and using them to commit illegal acts in a third country?

So stop acting like everybody else does it, because we don't.

Erm... those agencies you refer to are very hot on making sure their actions are deniable.

The French were certainly caught sabataging the Rainbow Warrior in New Zealand territory, so they're a really bad example.

The British never acknowledge non-diplomats as agents. Diplomats are covered (can only be expelled) wheras non-diplomats are seen as expendable.

I have no idea what the Americans do, and you can't get me to admit otherwise.

[Cruddy]

Originally posted by Azazel
This is really weird on part of you guys. Israel has always took responsibility when our agents were caught in other places. Think Jordan, Think Switzerland, Think Cyprus. If agents were captured, we always acknowledeged that they were our agents.

Using that logic, ie they are not working for the Israeli govt, then they are terrorists and belong in camp X-ray.

Originally posted by Azazel
Keep whining about Israel .

If we didn't, how much more arrogant would the Israeli govt be?

[Az]

Using that logic, ie they are not working for the Israeli govt, then they are terrorists and belong in camp X-ray

....
Err, no, just Israeli citizens.
...

If we didn't, how much more arrogant would the Israeli govt be?

Arrogant enough to play with the 'big boys'.

[Gibsie]

Originally posted by Azazel
So we have Russians, and French doing this, and these are examples of the top of my head.

Well you're in good company then, aren't you?

[Vince278]

I also recall the case of Jonathan Pollard, who was arrested and jailed in the US for spying for Israel. The Israeli government has occasionally asked for his release but this is unlikely.
(The irony here is that the Israelis probably could've asked for what the spy was giving)

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Cruddy


Erm... those agencies you refer to are very hot on making sure their actions are deniable.

The French were certainly caught sabataging the Rainbow Warrior in New Zealand territory, so they're a really bad example.

The British never acknowledge non-diplomats as agents. Diplomats are covered (can only be expelled) wheras non-diplomats are seen as expendable.

I have no idea what the Americans do, and you can't get me to admit otherwise.

Please pay attention. I was referring particularly to the act of fraudulent passports, something which is not merely a bilateral issue but instead one which can injure a country's international reputation.

Friends do not do that to each other.

If and when Mossad gets caught using Canadian passports again I'll be writing to my MP to ask that we follow NZ's example and demonstrate our extreme displeasure.

[Az]

I also recall the fact that the USA planned to invade Israel in 56'.
and that the USA flew recon flights over Israel, breaching sovereignity and airspace.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Solver
We don't act like everyone else does, we act as we see fit .

And those who you've thus offended will act as we see fit.

It's started with diplo sanctions. If it happens again I hope to see economic sanctions.

[KrazyHorse]

NZ is known internationally as a staunch UN-supporter and our passports give us a certain degree of protection due to our governments' stances on a variety of issues where eg Americans, Brits, Australians or, say, Israelis, might not be treated so leniently

Same with Canada.

As a holder of a valid Canadian passport, I feel personally injured at the thought of a state-sponsored murderer fraudulently acquiring one to facilitate his activities.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Azazel
The French sunk that Greenpeace ship, for example. I think that was a bit more offensive that just stealing the passport of the nation.

It's what it would be used for that's offensive. Like murder.