Britain
took the extraordinary step Tuesday of expelling an Israeli diplomat for
the first time in more than 20 years, after concluding there was
compelling evidence that
Israel
was responsible for the use of forged
British passports in the plot to slay a
senior Hamas operative in Dubai.
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said trust
between the two countries had been badly dented, demanded formal
assurances it never happen again and — in an unusual step — issued
travel advice to U.K. citizens warning their identity details may be at
risk if they visit Israel.
Miliband told the
House of Commons that the expelled diplomat,
who has not been named, was removed following an investigation into the
use of 12 fake U.K. passports in the Jan 20. slaying in Dubai.
"We have concluded that there are compelling reasons
to believe that Israel was responsible for the misuse of the British
passports," Miliband said.
Britain's Serious and
Organized Crime Agency found the forged
British passports were copies of authentic documents handed to Israeli
officials for inspection either in Israel or other countries, Miliband
said. He said the fakes were high-quality and almost certainly "made by a
state intelligence service."
"The actions in this case are completely unacceptable
and they must stop," Miliband said.
However, Miliband insisted Britain has drawn no
conclusions over who is responsible for the killing of Hamas official
Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, saying investigation by Dubai authorities was
continuing.
Dubai
authorities accuse Israel's Mossad of carrying out al-Mabhouh's killing
in a luxury hotel room, and have identified at least 26 suspects in an
alleged hit squad — members of which used forged European and
Australian passports.
Interpol has a wanted list of 27 people in connection
with the slaying. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied any
involvement in al-Mabhouh's death.
Israel's ambassador to London Ron Prosor said he was
"disappointed by the decision of the British government" but pledged
that the two countries would retain close ties. "The relationship
between Israel and the
United
Kingdom is of mutual importance," he said.
France and
Ireland are also carrying out inquiries into
the use of four forged French and six Irish passports. Ireland's
foreign ministry said it would consider further action once an
investigation with
Irish
police is completed.
Dubai police believe three Australian passports and a
German one were also used in the killing.
At least 15 of the names used by the suspected
killers match those of Israeli citizens who are dual nationals of
Western countries. All have denied involvement.
Miliband said in the cases of the 12 British
citizens, there was "no evidence to suggest that those 12 were anything
other than wholly innocent victims of
identity theft."
He said one victim told investigators "to go to bed a
citizen and wake up as a wanted terrorist is shocking."
"The fact that this was done by a country which is a
friend, with significant diplomatic, cultural, business and personal
ties to the UK, only adds insult to injury," Miliband said.
Miliband had been due to attend a reception Tuesday
to mark the refurbishment of the Israeli Embassy in London, but was
forced to cancel in order to make his statement to
Parliament.
The expulsion of an Israeli diplomat from London is
the first since 1988, when attache Arie Regev was removed for
"activities incompatible with diplomatic duties," a euphemism for
espionage.
Britain
also barred a second Israeli, Jacob Barad, from returning to Britain in
1987. Both men were suspected of coordinating Mossad activity in the
U.K. and of involvement in the forgery of
British passports.
At the time,
Shimon Peres
— now Israel's president — promised Britain it would never again forge
British documents.
Miliband, who said he discussed the case Monday with
Israeli Foreign Minister
Avigdor Lieberman, confirmed that Britain had chosen which
diplomat would be expelled and said "it was not a random" choice.
But British and Israeli officials declined to confirm reports that the
diplomat was Mossad's London station chief.
Arieh Eldad, a lawmaker from Israel's National Union — a hardline
opposition party — called Friday for the military attache of the British
Embassy in
Israel
to be expelled in response.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor declined to comment on
whether Israel would take retaliatory action.
Diplomatic expulsions are a rare sanction against foreign governments.
Britain kicked out four Russian diplomats in 2007 over the country's
refusal to extradite to London a suspect in the poisoning death of
Alexander Litvinenko.
David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer
