New tensions for Australia and Israel
|
Diplomatic relations between Israel and Australia are under new pressure, with news that the Israeli Mossad agency allegedly tampered with three Australian passports as part of its assassination of Hamas official Mahmoud al-Mabhouh last month. Foreign minister Stephen Smith said “…if the results of (our) investigation cause us to come to the conclusion that the abuse of Australian passports was in any way sponsored or condoned by Israeli officials, then Australia would not regard that as the act of a friend”. Former foreign minister Alexander Downer said “My recollection is that over time we have raised this issue with the Israelis. We have raised the issue of Israeli intelligence officers using foreign passports and that they should not consider using Australian passports.” Israeli Foreign Ministery spokesperson Yigal Palmor said “I haven’t heard any government accuse Israel of being involved in that, not in France, not in Britain, not in Ireland, not in Germany and now not in Australia…There have been many hints, or direct accusations by media (but) … they don’t represent any official stance. We don’t think we should feel concerned.” What now for Australia and Israel? Here’s what the pundits are saying. National Times Daniel Flitton: This is not the way to treat a steadfast friend
Michelle Grattan: Rudd rides in to save the day
The Australian Greg Sheridan: Theft burned a strong supporter
Sydney Morning Herald Peter Hartcher: Betrayed PM should not be taken for granted by Israel
Courier-Mail Dennis Atkins: Kevin Rudd’s outrage will have little effect on Israeli
Elsewhere Mark Steven, New Matilda: Passport act ‘Not the act of a friend’
|
|
|
|
15 Comments
This whole exercise has been a good test. Most people who are fully aware of the entire story and chronology have little sympathy for Mahmoud Mahmoud. If swift biblical justice based on Mosaic Law was in place in more countries the world would be a better place. Many justice systems are too lenient on serious crime. A lot of young people have little or no respect for authority. Serious decisions of crime and punishment must be made. Sometimes drastic actions are required. People do not realise we are in war between the forces of good and the forces of evil in the world. This action has worked on many different levels. The philosophy, reasoning and jurisprudence behind it were sound. Too many media commentators and members of the public are soft. They have no idea of the vigilance, focus and effort required in work by the police, intelligence services and defence force personnel. They live in an anaesthetized world whereby the real dangers of the world are ignored. These same people are quite happy to leave the heavy spiritual lifting up to others.
“We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm.” – George Orwell
@adamneira - one of the ‘real’ dangers of the world is the rank black and white thinking you espouse. Them and us, us and them - a testament to separation and violence like your Mosaic law.
That’s a fundamental statement of the conservative view, Adamneira: the world is scary, complicated and confusing, so we must reduce it to comforting, black-and-white concepts and enforce that reduction with violence. The reverence for assassins and torturers in your post is authoritarian, terrifying, and the antithesis of everything the civilised world stands for.
The differences between al-Mabhou and his killers are negligible. They are all elements of the primitive game of dominance and attrition that the Middle East is addicted to. Mossad kills terrorists, but also elected officials and non-violent popular leaders and organisers if it furthers Israel’s dominance of the region.
Mossad is a vile organisation, and if only Jesus had been Palestinian you’d be here praising Hamas and condemning Israel, so don’t pretend that comfort zone you’re in has any basis other than backward superstition.
Interesting that Mossad “allegedly” used a bunch of pre-dominantly Anglo-English speaking country passports such as UK, Ireland, Australia.
But there is not mention of US passports.
I guess there are some friends its ok to mis-use and then there’s the hand that subsidies your military.
Apart from the moral implications of what is implied by assassination, you would really have to question the strategic wisdom in killing Mahmoud. Israel may have killed a single senior Hamas operative but what have they gained?
They have managed to put offside a number of friendly governments AND have advertised for all the world to see the fact that they have a sophisticated mechanism for forging (or otherwise illegally aquiring) foreign passports and travel documents.
They have also had the faces of a number of their operatives plastered across the internet and have had a number of their operational procedures captured on video for the no doubt close analysis by their enemies.
Also, as a number of the passports forged appear to have been harvested in Israel, you would probably expect that some would-be tourists may have second thoughts about travelling there.
All that for the death of an operative (who may or may not have given more information out before he died) - did they lose more than they gained?
There’s a lot of bluster but not much evidence in any of this.
Unless something comes to light proving that the Mossad used our passports this will simply fade away. What action can we take on the basis of rumors?
Regarding Merlot64’s point, al-Mabhouh was allegedly the head of arms procurement for Hamas, and brokered their deals with Sudan and Iran. In that case he might simply have been high enough value for Israel to have considered such a risky operation.
The fact that Netanyahu is an idiot might also be relevant.
Rather confusing as to why a serious intelligence agency would use stolen details of real individuals rather than fictional identities when producing fake passports and other identification documents.
If you are caught then it becomes difficult for authorities to trace people who don’t exist rather than having disgruntled identity theft victims explaining their outrage and worry all over the international media’s newswires.
Leads you to think that this was the efforts of a smaller, less resourced outfit than the secret intelligence service of a sovereign state.
However if it is the sloppy mistakes of Mossad and if it can be proven then its another shutter coming down on a country that already feels isolated and almost alone. Not a smart move - even if Australia isn’t a huge trading partner to Israel.
Oh and AdamNeira did you in your black and white justification of this act think of the grey area where over 20 innocents are now in danger because they unknowingly had their passports forged or at the very least have had their lives made difficult by this act.
That’s right in a black and white/us and them world innocents are acceptable collateral damage because the end always justifies the means.
Israel it would appear doesn,t recognise or respect other countries laws or western culture. Its reply that it does not comment on things such as nuclear weapons or Mossad means that in effect it is saying ” Up Yours “. Israel got its nuclear data by stealing from its staunchest ally , the USA . If Serbia was repugnant to the west for its actions then Israel should be twice condemned for its actions against Lebanon or the many other instances of acting like a rogue state. I can never comprehend an Israeli official saying in a russian or american accent that this is our land and god gave it to us. I swallowed the line of Leon Uris ( Exodus ) when I was younger but Israel is its own worst enemy and no friend of Australia unless it suits their agenda.
I give up.
A full scale military assault on the people of Gaza, leaving 1400 dead, thousands injured and an already traumatised culture utterly catastrophised - that’s OK. Israel’s our friend.
An alleged passport fraud of three Australian citizens - that’s not OK. Israel might not be our friend anymore.
@Iorarua - absolutely true & correct. Israel has become a fascist state that recognizes no laws other than it’s own. 350+ UN resolutions condemning Israeli state terror, all denied by Israel & vetoed by the US who provide $10million dollar a day in military aid. It’s sickening to see what the Israeli state are doing and continue to get away with, respecting no international conventions regarding human rights, Palestinian land rights or the right of return. Israel denies doing anything wrong ever, all of the time!! Evne the Goldstone report (A Zionist jurist) concluded that the IDF committed war crimes (along with Hamas) in the Gaza massacres and he gets accused of bias and being a self hating jew..but hang on, I’ve criticized Israel as well so I guess I must be an anti-semite…… truly a sad state of affairs…
Good comment Alexander. The reason Israel do not like being criticized and probed into their questionable dealings is because they have so much too hide. The assassination of the Hamas leader has all the hallmarks of Mossad. They have history. But as Alexander pointed out, Israel is in a league of their own. I’m not critising Judaism, rather the Israeli Government and it’s supporters. WW2 was dreadful for a lot of people, and history will show that many holocausts have occurred to a lot of other people also. The world has compensated Israel greatly and nothing more can be done or should be done about that particular time. Because if that is the case then many people all around the world should be compensated right now, but that’s not happening. Israel does not have the right to act however it pleases without rebuke. It is not anti-semitic to say to the Israeli government that they are out of line with their policies. Australia has been severely embarrassed by this and nothing will happen because of the usual people censoring anything negative relating to the Israeli government. It is almost impossible to hear anything about this issue on the news editions on all channels and I am finding it hard to even have my comments posted here, but I shall keep trying. One cannot help but wonder.
I’m with you IORARUA.
It’s a sad indictment of the Australian political class’s intellectual & moral fibre.
Both political parties held in thrall by the influence peddling of a few rich Aussie based Zionists…absolutely pathetic.
And to think that Gaza Gillard is the Aussie far right Zionist lobby’s biggest supporter in Canberra…and why?…well tell us Gaza G…..c’mon…..tell us why…..
The whole Zionist takeover of both political parties foreign policy is pewkworthy in the extreme.
The murder of a Hamas freedom fighter by his country’s occupier has been conveniently overlooked by the Australian’s editorial today…courtesy of that far right hack Greg Sheridan, no doubt.
I support Hamas’ right to attack the illegal occupiers of their lands…c’mon PM..have me arrested, and we’ll test my view in court.
and Orwell didn’t say or write that, maybe it was Churchill