 It
lowers the standing of Jews in New Zealand and adds
support to the Palestinian cause.
-- Mike Regan, editor of The New Zealand
Jewish Chronicle 
Sydney, Thursday, July 15, 2004 The
Israelis pleaded guilty but denied
they were Mossad agents New Zealand
Jews: 'We are embarrassed' By TIA GOLDENBERG  NEW
Zealand's Jewish community is reacting with both
embarrassment and concern to Prime Minister
Helen Clark's decision to impose diplomatic
sanctions on Israel.
The sanctions come after two Israeli citizens,
Uri Kelman and Eli Cara -- suspected
of being Mossad
agents -- were sentenced on Thursday to six months
in prison and a NZ $50,000 fine for illegally
trying to obtain a New Zealand passport. "New Zealand is not particularly friendly to
Israel," said Mike Regan, editor of The
New Zealand Jewish Chronicle. He said Clark's
decision has more to do with the possibility of
Mossad being in the country than it does with the
men's attempt to obtain illegal passports. "Clarke imposed her own
judgment. She's trying a different case here,"
he said, adding that there is no strong evidence
that the two men are actually secret
agents. Speaking to The Jerusalem Post following
a meeting of the New Zealand Jewish Council, Regan
said that members were concerned the decision will
have repercussions on New Zealand's already low
support for Israel. "It lowers the standing of Jews in New Zealand
and adds support to the Palestinian cause," Regan
said. New Zealand has donated in the past hundreds
of thousands of dollars to a United Nations body
that aids Palestinian refugees. Regan said there were also concerns that the new
diplomatic sanctions will deter Israeli travelers
from visiting the Jewish community in New
Zealand. Former president of B'nai
Brith in Wellington George Pressburg
called the events an embarrassment for Israel and
New Zealand's Jewish community. "New Zealand has had reasonably good relations
with Israel and the Jewish community here is trying
to foster and support that. This incident is a
setback," he said. David Sanders, a member of Auckland's
Jewish community, said he was "appalled" that the
government should take such a step. He called on
the Israeli government to address New Zealanders
and respond to the allegations of these men as
Mossad agents. Although Sanders said that the affair "leaves a
nasty taste in New Zealander mouth," he said
he would continue to support
Israel, no matter what.
Website comment,
Thursday, July 15, 2004 : On tonight's 9:30pm
SBS broadcast, there was courtroom footage of
the sentencing of the Israeli "tourism" agents.
One was desperately trying to cover his face
with one hand. Watch the Kiwi dollar plummet. As
for Australia, Herr Katsav surely will be most
welcome here. Perhaps he'll be travelling on an
Australian passport, to simplify things at
customs.
Auckland
High Court Justice Judith Potter
[also] ordered them to pay $45,150 each to
the Cerebral Palsy Society after they used the name
of a disabled man in their bid to get a false
passport.
Sydney, Thursday, July 15, 2004 Israel regrets
NZ 'spy' case From correspondents in
Jerusalem July 15, 2004 ISRAEL said today it regretted
diplomatic sanctions imposed by Auckland after two
suspected Mossad
agents were jailed for trying to fraudulently
obtain a New Zealand passport.  "Israel
has a long tradition of excellent relations with
New Zealand, and we will do everything necessary --
together with the New Zealand Government -- to
restore relations," Foreign Minister Silvan
Shalom told public radio.
"Of course, we regret this response, but we
think this decision is a decision that can be
fixed." His comments came after New Zealand's Prime
Minister Helen Clark (right)
announced the suspension of Foreign Ministry
contacts and said she would stop a planned visit by
Israeli President Moshe Katsav in
August. In an angry statement issued after an Auckland
High Court today jailed the two men, Ms Clark said
that their actions had amounted to a breach of New
Zealand's sovereignty. Uriel Zoshe Kelman and Eli Cara
were arrested on March 23 after an undercover
police operation and pleaded guilty last month to
charges including fraudulently attempting to obtain
a New Zealand passport. Auckland High Court Justice Judith Potter
today sentenced the two men to six months in jail.
She ordered them to pay $45,150 each to the
Cerebral Palsy Society after they used the name of
a disabled man in their bid to get a false
passport. Katsav's office denied that any trip to New
Zealand had been in the pipeline while the
president himself told army radio that he hoped
"things would become clear and resolve
themselves."
New
Zealand condemns without reservation these actions
by agencies of the Israel
government.--
Prime Minister Helen Clark
Sydney, Thursday, July 15, 2004 NZ fury over
Israel 'secret two' From correspondents in
Wellington July 15, 2004 NEW Zealand's Prime Minister
launched a blistering verbal attack and slapped
diplomatic sanctions on Israel Thursday after two
suspected Mossad
agents were imprisoned for six months for illegally
trying to obtain a New Zealand passport. "New Zealand condemns without reservation these
actions by agencies of the Israel government,"
Prime Minister Helen Clark said after the
pair were sentenced to prison terms. "The New Zealand Government views the act
carried out by the Israeli intelligence agents as
not only utterly unacceptable but also a breach of
New Zealand sovereignty and international law," she
said. Ms Clark said the action of the men and those of
the Israeli Government had "seriously strained
relations" with New Zealand. The pair, Urie Zoshe Kelman, 30, and
Eli Cara, 50, both admitted a charge of
illegally trying to obtain a New Zealand passport
at an earlier hearing. They were arrested in March after they tried to
collect a passport in the name of a New Zealand
national who is a wheelchair-bound cerebral palsy
victim. The two defendants were reported to have links
to Israel's Mossad foreign intelligence service. Ms
Clark's comments signalled her administration
believed the men were secret agents. There was no reaction from the pair in the
Auckland High Court following their sentencing and
Israel did not immediately respond to Clark's
comments. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five
years imprisonment and Thursday's sentencing
followed a surprise plea change to guilty at their
last court appearance on July 2. Two other men thought to be involved in the
crime remain at large, police said. Ms Clark said that Israel had ignored requests
made three months ago for an explanation and an
apology. As a result, Ms Clark
said she would suspend high-level visits by New
Zealand officials to Israel and refuse any
request for Israel's President Moshe
Katsav to visit later this year when he is
due to go to Australia. Wellington also cancelled planned foreign
ministry talks later this year and said any
Israelis visiting New Zealand on government
business would have to apply for a visa. Wellington also will delay approval for the
appointment of a new Israeli ambassador to New
Zealand. "As will be apparent from these steps, the
breach of New Zealand laws and sovereignty by
agents of the Israeli Government has seriously
strained our relationship with Israel," Ms Clark
said in a statement following the sentencing. She said that the case involved far more than
simply criminal behaviour by two individuals. The Israeli agents had "attempted to demean the
integrity of the New Zealand passport system and
could have created considerable difficulties for
New Zealanders presenting their passports overseas
in future," she added. "This type of behaviour is unacceptable
internationally by any country. It is a sorry
indictment of Israel that it has again taken such
actions against a country with which it has
friendly relations," Ms Clark added. 
New Zealand jails two
Mossad spies, punishes Israel -
Two Israelis plead
guilty to trying to acquire a New Zealand
passport | The
spies who stole my name
-
Mossad
sending hostile New Zealand Message Via
Asian-Based organisations after arrest of two
agents
-
May 19, 2004: BBC
reports that Lebanon smashes Mossad
assassination ring
-
May 13, 2004: The
1979 Mossad Assassination attempt on Ambassador
John Dean: Dean papers with full taste of
Mossad's evil opened at Jimmy Carter's
Presidential Library
-
May 9, 2004: Israelis
with fake docs arrested in Tennessee, 'how to
fly' leaflet found; were seen to toss something
else out of Ryder truck, FBI called in
-
May 1, 2004: Crown
Prince Abdullah says Zionists behind Terror
attacks in Saudi Arabia
-
A
history of Mossad's overseas
bungling
-
Apr 29 -- May 2004: Secrecy
surrounds two Mossad agents when they reappear
in Auckland court on NZ passport forgery
charges | Police
fear al Qaeda terrorists using NZ passports
following arrest of 2 men in Thailand and
seizure of fake NZ passports | The
two Mossad agents charged with NZ passport
offences photographed in Auckland reporting to
police as part of bail conditions |
Two
men believed by senior Government figures to be
Israeli secret service agents have been arrested
in Auckland trying to obtain a false New Zealand
passport | One
Mossad agent entered NZ on a fake Canadian
passport
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