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Thread ID: 18848 | Posts: 7 | Started: 2005-06-26
2005-06-26 16:52 | User Profile
[B][SIZE=5]Israeli government apologises to New Zealand [/SIZE] [/B]
[URL=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10332767]The New Zealand Herald [/URL] | 26.06.05 5.20pm UPDATE
Israel has apologised for the spy scandal and has promised it will take steps to ensure no similar incident happens again.
Prime Minister Helen Clark today said she was pleased New Zealand and Israel would now be able to resume friendly diplomatic relations.
The relationship has been frosty since Israel refused to apologise for what Miss Clark described as "utterly unacceptable" behaviour surrounding two alleged Mossad agents, Uriel Zoshe Kelman and Eli Cara, who were arrested in March 2004 and charged with trying to fraudulently obtain New Zealand passports.
They were convicted in July last year, then deported last September after serving two months of their six-month prison sentences.
Miss Clark imposed diplomatic sanctions pending an apology from Israel, including delaying approval for the appointment of a new Israeli ambassador.
In addition, she postponed foreign ministry consultations and Israeli officials who wanted to visit New Zealand had to apply for visas.
The strained relationship meant Israeli President Moshe Katsav was not invited to extend a visit to include New Zealand when he was in Australia in February.
However, President Katsav said on Australian television at the time that he was sorry relations had been harmed by the spy scandal and Miss Clark took that as an encouraging sign that a satisfactory apology would be forthcoming.
In a brief letter dated today, Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said Israel attached great importance to its relationship with New Zealand and he was pleased to reiterate its desire to continue to develop and enhance this relationship in the future.
"In this context, we wish to express our regret for the activities which resulted in the arrest and conviction of two Israeli citizens in New Zealand on criminal charges and apologise for the involvement of Israeli citizens in such activities.
"Israel commits itself to taking steps to prevent a recurrence of similar incidents in the future," Mr Shalom said.
While Mr Shalom did not say in his three-paragraph letter that the two men were spies, Miss Clark said the Government had strong grounds for believing they were working on behalf of an Israeli intelligence agency.
Miss Clark said the apology meant restrictions on official contact with Israel were being lifted today.
The new Israeli ambassador could now be accredited, and visits and other diplomatic activities could be restored.
She said official inquiries had revealed that a very small number of New Zealand passports had been obtained by those working on behalf of Israeli intelligence.
Those passports had been cancelled. Attempts to use them would be futile, Miss Clark said.
"Israel's formal apology and undertaking to prevent the recurrence of the activities that resulted in the arrest and criminal convictions of two Israeli citizens in New Zealand is welcome," she said.
In a letter in response, Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff thanked Mr Shalom for his letter and said that because of the apology and assurances it contained, New Zealand now regarded the matter as being behind it.
Mr Goff said the two countries should "move forward" and resume friendly diplomatic relations.
2005-06-26 17:02 | User Profile
The only reason they say that they are "sorry" is because they were found out.
That guy Goff says that the two countries should "move foward" or in other words ....the state of Israel have to find a new way to do it again.
If the Zionists were found out each and everytime that they gave the shaft to someone then they would have a commisar whose sole job would be to tell the world that they are sorry.
2005-06-26 17:26 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Ponce]The only reason they say that they are "sorry" is because they were found out.[/QUOTE]
Right. Sorry like the thief... who got caught. He's sorry he got caught.
2005-06-26 17:39 | User Profile
He's sorry he got caught.
2005-06-26 21:50 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Marxist]He's sorry he got caught.[/QUOTE] :thumbd: Are the Kiwis dim enough to re establish full protocols, or will they hold Israel at arm's length?
Hmmmmmm.
2005-06-28 11:05 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Marxist]He's sorry he got caught.[/QUOTE] Yep, that's about right....Shades of Pollard!
2005-06-28 11:29 | User Profile
Any country that deals with Israel at this point deserves whatever comes their way. Israel has a long history of spying on the US, selling arms received from the US to our competitors, attacking our military, commiting war crimes against civilian targets, harboring Jewish criminals who flee from America, intellectual piracy and trafficking in East European girls for their sex markets. Without a doubt Israel is the most dangerous nation in the Middle East with stockpiles of WMD including nuclear warheads and genocidal leaders. That we do business with that regime is beyong me; but, then again, the Saudis are no better. Remember this when Bush addresses the nation tonight telling us why we should spill more American blood and treasure in Iraq.