Source: In 2004, it was an open secret in Canberra’s Middle Eastern community that Israeli agents were trying to obtain “clean” passports from countries such as Australia and New Zealand to be used by its spy agency, Mossad, The Australian reports.
Ali Kazak was the Palestinian representative to Australia at the time and he went public with his concerns, warning the Howard government that Mossad was trying to obtain Australian passport details fraudulently.
Mr Kazak, who served as a semi-official ambassador from 1982 to 2006, last night said he had been vindicated by confirmation that cloned Australian passports were used by suspects in the murder of Palestinian militant Mahmoud al-Mabhouh.
He tells it like it is:
“I told you but you didn’t act on the warning,” Mr Kazak said. “And you’ve put Australian lives at risk.”
Mr Kazak said the Australian government’s failure to properly investigate Mossad’s activities here amounted to appeasement and had put Australian lives at risk. “Can you imagine what Australia would do if this (passport fraud) was being done by an Arab or Muslim country?” he said.
“This neglect, this appeasement, this closing of eyes towards Israel is putting Israel’s interest above Australia.”
Of course, Mr. Kazak, being a mere Palestinian, doesn't know what he is talking about:
But Mr Downer (Australias Foreign Affairs Minister at the time) last night rejected Mr Kazak’s claim, saying the Howard government had bluntly warned Israel over the use of fake Australian passports.
You see that this "warning" was taken seriously by Israel right?
Israeli FM spokespeople Yigal Palmor in the meantime denied that relations were strained with the offended countries and further noted that not one country has made a blatant accusation. He ends his comment with this:
We don't think we should feel concerned."
