Australia expels Israeli official over forged passports

Three of the images that replaced the mugshots of Australians whose passports were forged by Mossad

Reuters

By RFI

Australia has expelled an Israeli diplomat after finding the Jewish state was behind fake Australian passports linked to the killing of a Hamas operative in Dubai. Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said it was clear the Israeli intelligence services was behind the counterfeiting of four Australian passports, given the high quality of the forgeries.

"These investigations and advice have left the government in no doubt that Israel was responsible for the abuse and counterfeiting of these passports," he said.

"This is not what we expect from a nation with whom we have had such a close, friendly and supportive relationship," he added.

Smith said Australia remained a "firm friend" of Israel but that no government could tolerate the abuse of its passports.

"The government has asked that a member of the Israeli embassy in Canberra be withdrawn from Australia … I have asked that the withdrawal be effected within a week," Smith said.

An investigation found that the documents used by the assassins who carried out the January killing of a Hamas operative were forged Australian passports, Smith said.

Hamas operative Mahmud al-Mabhuh was killed in a luxury Dubai hotel.

Dubai police said suspects in the killing used the identities of 12 Britons, as well as those of people from France, Germany and Ireland along with the four Australians.

In March, Britain expelled an Israeli diplomat after an investigation by its Serious Organised Crime Agency found that 12 forged British passports used in the assassination were copied from real documents.

The Israeli foreign ministry expressed disappointment over the Australian decision.

"We are sorry for the Australian step, which is not in line with the nature and importance of the relationship," between the two nations, said foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmore.

Mossad has been widely blamed for the killing of the Hamas operative but Israel maintains there is no proof for this claim.