It's time to say sorry, Israeli government is told

By FRAN O'SULLIVAN in JERUSALEM

Pressure is building on Israel's Government to apologise for breaching New Zealand's sovereignty in the passports affair.

In an editorial the influential Haaretz newspaper, which is considered "reliable" by Israel's powerful Ministry of Foreign Affairs, criticised the action by alleged Mossad agents as damaging "the foreign relations of Israel, its reputation and the operational capabilities of Israel's intelligence agencies".

Opposition MPs such as Yossi Sarid also want the Government to apologise, and the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) Foreign Affairs and Defence committee to hold a formal inquiry into the actions of the pair, Urie Kelman and Eli Cara, "who were not too brilliant in their activities".

In an interview with the Herald, Mr Sarid criticised Foreign Minister Sylvan Shalom, who last week said he "regretted" New Zealand's reaction, for making a "half apology" to the New Zealand Government.

"Israel has shown a degree of arrogance," said Mr Sarid.

"The Government of Israel should apologise to the Government and people of New Zealand."

"New Zealand is a friendly country, there is no reason to interfere with its sovereignty. If you are caught you have to apologise ... because at the end of the day there will be an apology."

MP Zahava Galon said the fiasco makes "more necessary than ever the passage of a law governing the Mossad's activities and parliamentary supervision".

The Haaretz editorial was blunt: "In order to contain the damage that has been caused it would be appropriate for the Government to hurry up and apologise and provide the explanations that the Government of New Zealand is asking."

But informed sources suggest there is still some way to go before Israel publicly backs down on the affair.

They suggest that New Zealand has overcooked the effect of the diplomatic sanctions. While New Zealand cabinet ministers and officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade have to observe strict constraints on contact with Israel's honorary consul, that does not preclude using vital back-channels between New Zealand and Jerusalem-based officials to move towards a resolution.

Officials here view New Zealand's diplomatic sanctions as lacking teeth, and in interviews for domestic Israeli consumption have suggested they are "misleading".

They have a point. For instance, the diplomatic sanctions stop short of imposing trade barriers with Israel, which would have had an immediate effect given this country's trade surplus with New Zealand.