Editorial: Israel given a message to remember

In the shadowy, incestuous business of state espionage, some governments might be tempted to turn a blind eye to the misappropriation of its passports by a supposed friendly state. To Prime Minister Helen Clark's credit, she has not downplayed the attempt by two Israeli agents to obtain a New Zealander's passport, or done anything behind the scenes to see that the agents were dealt with discreetly and dispatched without diplomatic consequences.

The Government apparently did seek an explanation from the Israeli Government before the arrests were publicly known, but it was not forthcoming. A week later, when the Herald disclosed the arraignment of the suspected agents on passport charges, she publicly stated her concern and said, "There will be a strong and public response to this matter once the court action has concluded". As soon as the agents received prison sentences on Thursday she was as good as her word. She has taken suitable steps to show Israel, and any other country, that New Zealand will defend the integrity of its passports.

If the theft of a passport seems a small matter in the range of national interests, it is one that should be of utmost concern. We all have an interest in the reliability of a New Zealand passport. Should it be discovered as a cover for foreign agents who infiltrate other countries for purposes that are unwelcome to them and sometimes deadly, legitimate holders of the passport may find their travel barred or impeded for reasons they might never know. In this case the agents are believed to be acting for Mossad, a clandestine organisation with a reputation for ruthless efficiency. It acts in the interests of a state that routinely sanctions assassinations in its quest for survival in a hostile neighbourhood.

This country's passports are likely to be particularly attractive to intelligence services whose agents are English-speaking Caucasians. Since our population is tiny by comparison with other such countries, the carrier of a phony New Zealand identity would reckon his chances of discovery by a real New Zealander remote. For that reason New Zealand needs to be especially vigilant in issuing passports and the punishment of any breach.

The diplomatic reprisals taken against Israel are reasonable and judicious. Government exchanges have been suspended and Wellington has made it known that any request for a visit by Israel's President, Moshe Katsav, when he comes to Australia shortly, will be refused. Scheduled foreign ministry consultations later this year will not take place and Israeli officials will need to apply for visas to visit here. Accreditation of a new Israeli ambassador to this country will be delayed. These measures should make maximum public impact in Israel, particularly the "not welcome" message about the president. Israel's press will see that the reason for New Zealand's annoyance is well understood.

The diplomatic reprisals will have been chosen with acute recollection of the embarrassment eventually suffered by a previous Labour Government that jailed foreign agents. The French Government in that case was able to exert subtle pressure on New Zealand export products and the Lange Government buckled, agreeing to send the Rainbow Warrior saboteurs to serve their sentences on a French atoll in the Pacific. To the surprise of nobody but that Government, the agents were soon repatriated to complete freedom.

It is hard to see a risk of similar embarrassment this time. Israel does not have the trade leverage that France enjoyed, though its all-powerful ally, the United States, does.

The US also retains intelligence links with New Zealand despite the downgrading of military co-operation over the past 20 years. If it was minded to support Israel publicly in this incident it might think some suspension of intelligence was more appropriate. But even that must be counted unlikely.

Israel's agents were caught in a clear offence and, since one of them was operating out of Sydney, Israel might count itself lucky the Australian Government has not taken a tougher line too. The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation carried out some sort of inquiry of Eli Cara, who posed as a Sydney-based travel agent, but nothing has been said about it.

Let other countries draw a cloak over such activities if they wish. This country has shown it will not do so and for that we can be quietly proud.