NZ jails suspected Israeli spies
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.
The Associated Press
Is there something special about NZ that means nearly automatic embarresment for any foreign espionage team (first Frances bombing of the 'Rainbow Warrior' and now this)?
Hmmm, wonder if the thread title should be NZ bitch slaps Israel, pretty much accurate!
Η ζωή, η ζωή εδω τελειώνει!
"Science is one cold-hearted bitch with a 14" strap-on" - Masuka 'Dexter'
"Angela is not the woman you think she is Gabriel, she's done terrible things"
"So have I, and I'm going to do them all to you." - Sylar to Arthur 'Heroes'
I watched Clarks comments a few muiutes after she said them..I may have my differences with her, but she did good tonight.
Via money Europe could become political in five years" "... the current communities should be completed by a Finance Common Market which would lead us to European economic unity. Only then would ... the mutual commitments make it fairly easy to produce the political union which is the goal"
BoredShirtless wrote:But why send spies to NZ? To spy on what?
Good question...
Member of the Unremarkables Just because you're god, it doesn't mean you can treat people that way : - My girlfriend Evil Brit Conspiracy - Insignificant guy
NZ jails suspected Israeli spies
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.
BoredShirtless wrote:But why send spies to NZ? To spy on what?
Good question...
It's quite obvious that after the increadible success of the LOTR movies and the subsequent booming tourism industry, they were there to make sure that NZ doesn't steal precious tourism business from Israel.
evilcat4000 wrote:I was thinking the same thing. What in the blazes is an Israeli spy doing in New Zealand ?
It's mentioned in the original articul
illegally trying to obtain a New Zealand passport.
Now, think for a moment, is an Israeli passport allowed
into Saudi Arabia or other fundie shitholes? That's like having
a sign on you saying "Shoot me now! Please!", a NZ Passport
has none of that baggage
"If scientists and inventors who develop disease cures and useful technologies don't get lifetime royalties, I'd like to know what fucking rationale you have for some guy getting lifetime royalties for writing an episode of Full House." - Mike Wong
"The present air situation in the Pacific is entirely the result of fighting a fifth rate air power." - U.S. Navy Memo - 24 July 1944
They are spying on NZs Shock Sheep Trooper program. Imagine a hoard of stony faced, steel wooled armored, elite combat trained mutton advancing upon your position. Isreal must close the Sheep Gap! F34R TH3 5H33P!!
I do applaude Cleark for this. I have never forgiven the NZ Government for letting the French Secret Service agents go. Not Australias Government for not backing them more then we did.
Those people should STILL be rotting in a NZ Prison. Or hell, we should have sent the ASAS / NZSAS to blow up some FRENCH ship in a French Harbour (and we would have gotten away cleen), THEN extridite them back. But the fucking French every damn time put a frigen ton of political preasure on NZ such as massive tarrifs and what not and with some understanding, the Government did cave for the good of the country.
I mean Australias econonmy alone is what, 5-6 times the size? And back then you guys were far more dependent on agrarian exports then you are now, France being a major buyer.
Though it fucking sickens me that they refused to let their people take responsibility for their actions but kept pooring on the preasure on NZ politicaly and economicaly until they sent the Prisoners back to France.
Of course they were SUPPOSED to simply spend their sentences out over there...but got medels pinned on their chest and nice houses to live in....
Chris OFarrell wrote:
I mean Australias econonmy alone is what, 5-6 times the size? And back then you guys were far more dependent on agrarian exports then you are now, France being a major buyer.
No, the french economy is 5x Australia's (and a bit more).
Chris OFarrell wrote:
I mean Australias econonmy alone is what, 5-6 times the size? And back then you guys were far more dependent on agrarian exports then you are now, France being a major buyer.
No, the french economy is 5x Australia's (and a bit more).
Err I was actualy saying that Aus is 5 X larger then France's. And that site is somewhat out of date. According to World Factbook Aus GDP was 570.3 Billion 2003. France was 1654 2003. So about 3X.
Chris OFarrell wrote:
Err I was actualy saying that Aus is 5 X larger then France's. And that site is somewhat out of date. According to World Factbook Aus GDP was 570.3 Billion 2003. France was 1654 2003. So about 3X.
Thanks for the correction, the way you said it I assumed you were comparing economies. In terms of size, Australia is more than 5x bigger. Although I believe most of that is desert and unused area, unlike heavily used european space. And there's only so much you can do with 20 mill. people.
Another problem with upseting France, of course, is their influence in the EU.
I was MEANING to say Aus was 5X larger then NZ, NOT FRANCE.
Grrrr.
OK, OK.
And Australia is WAY more then 5 X the landmass of France..
Juuust wait until Fusion reactors become a reality and cheap abundent electricity makes massive HAB sized Desalinisation plants a reality, pumping water inland enmass and greening the country up, then pumping up the population to a good 100 million or so
I loved the fact that Israeli diplomats have to apply for visas as well (if I read the article correctly)!
I agree with Crackpot, she's got a big pair of brass ones on her (meant in an entirely non-chauvanist way), there isn't an election coming up is there?
Η ζωή, η ζωή εδω τελειώνει!
"Science is one cold-hearted bitch with a 14" strap-on" - Masuka 'Dexter'
"Angela is not the woman you think she is Gabriel, she's done terrible things"
"So have I, and I'm going to do them all to you." - Sylar to Arthur 'Heroes'
I agree with Crackpot, she's got a big pair of brass ones on her (meant in an entirely non-chauvanist way), there isn't an election coming up is there?
Election? why yes, yes there is
Via money Europe could become political in five years" "... the current communities should be completed by a Finance Common Market which would lead us to European economic unity. Only then would ... the mutual commitments make it fairly easy to produce the political union which is the goal"
evilcat4000 wrote:I was thinking the same thing. What in the blazes is an Israeli spy doing in New Zealand ?
It's mentioned in the original articul
illegally trying to obtain a New Zealand passport.
Now, think for a moment, is an Israeli passport allowed
into Saudi Arabia or other fundie shitholes? That's like having
a sign on you saying "Shoot me now! Please!", a NZ Passport
has none of that baggage
Indeed..we have visa free access to around 80 odd nations or more on the planet..we get to go all sorts of places due to the fact that no one knows where we are, and what they know of us is generally that of a freindly nation, and as such they figure that we are harmless.
This is good for us economically and politically.
Via money Europe could become political in five years" "... the current communities should be completed by a Finance Common Market which would lead us to European economic unity. Only then would ... the mutual commitments make it fairly easy to produce the political union which is the goal"
Col. Crackpot wrote:They were obviously after Yahoo Serious' plans on how to split the New Zealand Beer Molecule.
seriously though, Clarke has some brass balls! good for her!
If yahoo serious is in NZ messing with our beer he will be hunted down, shot and then deported back to Australia with the rest of the criminal, poor beer quality, race horse stealing, scum.
Via money Europe could become political in five years" "... the current communities should be completed by a Finance Common Market which would lead us to European economic unity. Only then would ... the mutual commitments make it fairly easy to produce the political union which is the goal"
Funny conversation from earlier today. This guy who shows up at work from time to time tells me "they were hunting for terrorists that had broken through our ineffective security."
Spyder wrote:Funny conversation from earlier today. This guy who shows up at work from time to time tells me "they were hunting for terrorists that had broken through our ineffective security."
I couldn't help but laugh.
Did you check his hair for tinfoil?
Via money Europe could become political in five years" "... the current communities should be completed by a Finance Common Market which would lead us to European economic unity. Only then would ... the mutual commitments make it fairly easy to produce the political union which is the goal"
Stuart Mackey wrote:
Did you check his hair for tinfoil?
I pointed out that they don't need to steel a passport to do that. He ran off before I could also point out that the security was far from ineffective.
....... 
