Israel - a stormy relationship: Passport to a world of trouble

In a three-part series starting today, assistant editor FRAN O'SULLIVAN examines New Zealand's relations with Israel in the light of the Mossad passport scandal. Her reports, which come as the United Nations prepares for a debate on anti-Semitism, draw on a wide range of sources, including material gathered during a two-week visit to Israel.

When the Palestinian terrorism group Hamas applauded Prime Minister Helen Clark's "daring" actions in imposing sanctions on Israel, Jewish organisations reacted against her "vile bedfellows".

Ted Lapkin, an editor for the Australia-Israel and Jewish Affairs Council, wrote that Clark had exposed the "moral bankruptcy" of her Middle East policy.

In Wellington, David Zwartz, president of the Jewish Council and Israel's honorary consul - who is banned from official Government meetings - was quick to suggest that Clark's "anti-Israel" comments could have been a trigger for the spate of attacks in which swastikas have been painted and gravestones toppled in Jewish cemeteries.

At issue is the independent line Helen Clark and Foreign Minister Phil Goff have taken since they began fronting New Zealand's foreign policy.

The vocal New Zealand Jewish lobby has long promoted the view that the Government's policies are pulling the two countries apart.

Its litany is well-worn - New Zealand's "anti-Israel" voting record at the United Nations, Goff's visit to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, Goff's statements condemning actions by Israeli troops, his decision to uphold an International Court ruling that Israel's "security fence" is illegal.

Capping it all was Clark's refusal to kowtow to the Israel Government's secret overtures to sweep the passports affair under the carpet before agents Uriel Kelman and Eli Cara went to court.

Last week, the American Jewish Committee issued a report into the United Nations voting record on the Arab-Israeli conflict last year and this year.

Titled One-Sided - The Relentless Campaign AGainst Israel in the United Nations, it is the backdrop to a push by Israel's Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom at the UN this week for a debate on anti-Semitism.

A close examination of the Jewish Committee's report reveals a telling fact - New Zealand is no rogue state.

It is not part of the Arab bloc. Thirty-one nations, among them respectable European heavyweights such as France, Ireland, Italy and Asian countries including South Korea, had similar voting patterns to New Zealand, which endorsed 15 resolutions against Israel and abstained on seven.

The only countries to repeatedly vote in Israel's favour were the US and Israel.

New Zealand's Washington embassy received letters asking the Government to "take a strong stance" against the desecration of the Jewish graves.

Said Ambassador John Wood: "We have since received follow-up correspondence from one particular Jewish organisation commending New Zealand's Parliament for the unanimous resolution

A Herald inquiry reveals that the "scandal" over the actions of Mossad, Israel's security agency, rapidly changed gear once Clark imposed sanctions.

The screen some Israeli officials, analysts and Kiwi-born Zionists erected to cloak their country's activities became a little more transparent.

Officials who had flatly denied that Mossad was behind the attempted theft of New Zealand passports became less categorical.

Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom as good as admitted his Government's transgression on New Zealand's sovereignty when he told the Knesset that "we" received a message regarding the men's arrest from the New Zealand Government - but that "out of respect to the New Zealand judicial system that had already started legal proceedings where the two Israelis were accused of criminal offences, and out of concern for their safety, it was decided to postpone our response until the end of legal proceedings".

"My advice is to wait until this matter is clarified within diplomatic channels between the two countries, and upon the release of the detainees and their return to Israel, we will be able to resume the amicable relations between the two countries."

An English translation of the Knesset session obtained by the Herald is revealing for the frankly expressed views of MPs.

Shaul Yahalom, of the Mafdal Party which represents the religious Zionist movement, said of the Israeli Foreign Ministry's public response: "The fact that these things were carried out in the legal way, only while denying everything even though they probably had recordings - as was at least made public - only caused more anger, diplomatic anger with the New Zealand Government that could have been avoided.

"There is no doubt that an effective intelligence service of the state of Israel, which is supposed to penetrate countries that are hostile to Israel, should be there. It cannot be done with an Israeli passport.

"I think the Israeli intelligence services can find solutions with the help of friendly intelligence services and have it done in a friendlier manner than the way it has been done so far."

Said Abd-Elmalek, of the Ra'am Party (United Arab List): "The state of Israel has its own ways. It wants to do killings, it wants to hurt leaders, and this is obviously opposed to any international legitimacy and it hurts especially countries that are friendly.

"There was no problem in obtaining American passports. Israel could get them very easily. It gets them. It probably would not serve their purpose in this case. Just as in order to live in Amman and kill a Palestinian leader it was necessary to use Canadian passports.

"Somebody was supposed to be in another Arab country and kill somebody over there, and having a New Zealand passport was considered to be the best."

"Americans are now under suspicion in the Arab world. They are not liked. Anybody knows that. The British are not liked either, not even regular Europeans who, following the invasion of Iraq, already have a negative image in the Arab work, and this is why they looked for a country that does not have this kind of image."

Hemi Doron, from the right-wing Shinui party, claimed that two months before the Israeli passports incident, a Russian intelligence agent was caught in New Zealand.

"The Russian Government apologised. This man was deported from New Zealand and that story was over.

"They did not intent to hurt us and treat us differently than they did with that Russian agent. All we have to do is learn some humility and admit mistake."

An MP from the ruling Likud faction, Magli Vahaba, said he would not take advantage of an "operational mishap" - if indeed it had taken place - to criticise Israeli intelligence. But he wanted a Knesset committee to study the issue.

Other MPs implored Foreign Minister Shalom to own up and apologise for Israel's actions.

Several took issue with the claim that the Clark Government's response had sparked the graveyard desecration or that there was anti-Semitism in New Zealand. Not one MP directly linked the two events.

But Zwartz or any other of Israel's semi-official representatives in New Zealand have made no moves to ensure these differing views get to a broader New Zealand audience.

Goff is still smarting from some of the local attacks - particularly from those who have gained quasi-official status since budget cuts forced the closure of Israel's Wellington Embassy.

"Let's get the record straight again," he says. "I visited Arafat - he was one of the key parties on whom the success or otherwise of the Roadmap [peace process] depends.

"Equally, I saw the key people in Israel I had requested to see.

"This is part of our even-handed approach to the Middle East - not taking sides - and it's not on for Israel to suggest to me as Foreign Minister who I should see when I'm visiting an area ... "

Goff adamantly rejects the "nonsense" that it is anti-Semitic to criticise Israel.

"As I have said, we support Israel's right to secure borders and we consistently condemn suicide bombings.

"But if I am even-handed I will also condemn the de facto annexation involved with the settlement of occupied territory and the building of a wall through territory that doesn't belong to you.

"Didn't we vote in the International Court of Justice on the separation wall? Of course we did. As did 150 other countries, with only six supporting Israel.

"That should tell Israel about the unacceptability of that particular policy ...

"But I don't think Israel can justifiably rely on its stance of always claiming to be the victim when other people are quite patently victims in that conflict as well."

Goff - like some Israeli MPs - suspects the New Zealand passports were intended to assist in "extra-judicial assassinations".

This is a view also shared by Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal, who recently visited New Zealand.

"It is outrageous that a country defrauds the passports of another country - It shows that even Israel is not taking the interests of friendly countries into account," he said.


No Israeli Government official would "go on record" about the motivation behind Mossad's alleged actions.

But South African-born security analyst Hersh Goodman - recommended by several officials as a "trusted source" - was blunt about the international terror threat to Israel.


"We're fighting an international organisation that's trying to blow up our embassies, blow up Jewish schools, blow up our consulates all over the world.

"If you've not got an international spy network, how are you going to know that?

"Rap us over the knuckles, call the ambassador in and give us kick up the arse and say, 'Don't do it again'."


The issue is a problematical one for New Zealand diplomacy.

Alleged Israeli ringleader Zev Barkan - who had served in several Israeli embassies - also carries an American passport.

But US authorities have decline to go public on the matter, unlike Canada. That country started inquiries into Kelman's decision to visit New Zealand on a Canadian passport while still a serving Israeli Defence Force member.

Goff has discussed the affair with his Australian counterpart, Alexander Downer, who he says was "quite keen to find out about the background to the arrests in New Zealand and what lay behind them".

There are suggestions - so far unconfirmed - that Wellington may have got wind of the Barkan ring before Israeli Foreign Affairs official Michael Ronen visited New Zealand in late February.

Jerusalem officials suggest New Zealand was not keen to act on a suggestion that President Moshe Katsav visit this year.

Goff rejects this. "I would have been delighted to see the President in New Zealand - but obviously in current circumstances that wouldn't be appropriate.

"Somebody in Mr Sharon's office claimed I tried to get an appointment with him - when I had never sought one."

"That's it again - attack is the best method of defence, and in Israel it is frequently spun out of the Prime Minister's office.

Israel is considering re-opening its Wellington embassy, but Goff says New Zealand will not open one in Tel Aviv.

"We need to prioritise our resource and have embassies in those countries with whom we have the most substantial trading and political relationships."

This week, the action shifts to the United Nations where debate on the Roadmap may yet again spark conflict.

Says Goff: "Our offer to contribute to peacekeeping operations in the the region still stands.

"We see the conflict in the Middle East as being one of the things that feeds most directly into international terrorism, giving a pretext to those terrorist groups seeking support arising out of the perceived injustice."

* TOMORROW Part II - Israel's Kiwi helpers