Passport plan opposed

Internal Affairs Minister George Hawkins does not believe it would be in the public interest to grant Israeli nuclear weapons whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu a passport.

Mr Vanunu, who served an 18-year sentence for disclosing details of Israel's weapons programme to a British newspaper, has welcomed a campaign by MP Keith Locke for this country to grant him citizenship.

But Mr Hawkins said while the Moroccan-born Israeli's circumstances were certainly exceptional, "I cannot see how granting him citizenship would provide the advantage or positive benefit to New Zealand necessary to meet the public interest criteria".