DUBLIN: Ireland will expel an Israeli diplomat in punishment for Mossad’s use of forged Irish passports to assassinate a top Hamas official in Dubai.
The Irish move, announced last night, follows the expulsion by Australia and Britain of Israeli diplomats over the use of their nationals’ passports in the January assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh.
It follows the first arrest earlier this month of a suspected Mossad spy over the operation in which 15 countries’ passports were faked by Israeli intelligence.
Israel has refused to confirm or deny its agents’ involvement in the slaying of Mabhouh. Dubai officials say assassins using 32 fake passports – including eight depicting fictional Irish citizens – participated in the hit squad.
Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin said last night his government was expelling the diplomat after an investigation concluded an Israeli government agency was responsible for faking the passports.
“The misuse of Irish passports by a state with which Ireland enjoys friendly, if sometimes frank, bilateral relations is clearly unacceptable and requires a firm response,” Mr Martin said.
Ireland’s two investigations have reached “the inescapable conclusion that an Israeli government agency was responsible”.
Mr Martin said the unnamed official was not being specifically blamed for forging passports.
Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith on May 24 announced the expulsion of an Israeli diplomat, after a three-month investigation by federal police and spy agencies and a visit to Israel by ASIO director-general David Irvine. Accusing Israel of identity theft, Mr Smith said the use of four forged Australian passports was not the action of a friend.
The diplomat, understood to be the Mossad station chief in Canberra, left Australia on the last weekend of last month.
Canberra’s action came three months after Britain expelled an Israeli diplomat believed to be Mossad’s London station chief over the use of 12 forged British passports in the January 20 hit.
On June 4, Polish authorities arrested suspected Mossad agent Uri Brodsky on his arrival in Poland, executing a European arrest warrant issued by Germany, which is seeking his extradition. He is suspected of working for Mossad and helping to issue a fake German passport to a member of the hit squad.
Mr Martin last night condemned Israel’s alleged assassination of Mabhouh: “Many allegations have been made against Mr Mabhouh which, if true, would categorise him as a committed terrorist. The Irish government does not believe states should fight terror with terror.”
Mr Martin’s aides said this was the first time Ireland has expelled an Israeli official. It last took such action in the mid-1980s against Russian officials suspected of spying activity.
Be the first to comment