Endless Nasty Stuffs, As Always
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Report: Alleged Mossad agent used Canadian papers to enter NZ
By Yossi Melman and Chemi Shalev, Haaretz Correspondents and Haaretz Service
An Israeli arrested last month on suspicion of trying to obtain fake New Zealand passports entered the country on a Canadian passport, according to allegations made in a New Zealand courtroom that were quoted Thursday in a Canadian newspaper.
New Zealand officials informed state media that they suspect that Uri Kelman, 30, is a Mossad agent. Police presented information in court alleging that Kelman entered New Zealand in 1999 with a Canadian passport, despite Israel's 1997 promise to Canada that passports from that country would not be used in undercover operations.
According to Canada's National Post, Kelman spent eight weeks in New Zealand and then departed for Melbourne, Australia, using a temporary Canadian passport attained during his stay in New Zealand.
The National Post quoted Reynald Doiron, a spokesman for Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs, as saying: "We're aware of the allegations, or the alleged information, that surfaced in the court case in New Zealand. Nothing else can be added at this time."
In a botched attempt to target top Hamas official Khaled Mashal in Jordan in 1997, Mossad agents were found to have used Canadian passports in undercover operations. After the incident, Israel apologized to Canada and promised not to use Canadian passports again.
Three days ago, New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark and senior government officials in the country moderated their remarks regarding the "passport affair" after an attorney representing one of the four accused men said his client would not be able to receive a fair trial.
The decision also came after Acting Foreign Affairs Minister Jim Sutton disclosed details of a conversation held two weeks ago with Israel's acting ambassador to Australia and New Zealand, Orna Sagiv.
In an interview with the New Zealand Herald, Sutton said he had demanded that the Israeli government return any false New Zealand passports it might have, and demanded that Sagiv report to New Zealand on any activities pertaining to New Zealand passports.
Foreign Ministry sources in Jerusalem on Wednesday criticized the interview that Sutton had granted, in which he detailed the content of his conversation with Sagiv. One of the ministry sources claimed the New Zealand government was trying to "make political capital" from the incident, and was violating the rules of the diplomatic game.
haaretz.com |
