Knowledge (XXG)

2004 Israel–New Zealand passport scandal

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171:, met for reconciliation talks on 26 October 2005, an Israeli government statement noted that the meeting was the first between high ranking New Zealand and Israel officials "since the incident with the Mossad". Israel's Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev denied that it was an official admission of Mossad activity in New Zealand and said the "incident with the Mossad" should have been in inverted commas to reflect that the espionage is alleged only by the New Zealand government. "We have never said more than we have said in the case. This issue has been solved in a satisfactory way with the New Zealand government." 183:, a Jewish-Samoan political novice, of acting as a bridge between the two governments when he visited Nissan Krupsky, the former Israeli ambassador to New Zealand, in Israel in December. AJN reported that Field met with Israel's Foreign Ministry officials secretly because of the NZ ban on meetings between the government's officials. New Zealand Foreign Minister 143:
carved into and around 16 Jewish graves. The head of the New Zealand Jewish community, David Zwartz, said, "there is a direct connection between the very strong expressions against Israel and people here feeling they can take it out on Jews. It seems to me Israel-bashing one day, Jew-bashing the next
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general practitioner, testified that a man asked him to witness his passport application because he was going to Australia to get married. Way said the man was "calm and gave me no reason not to believe him. I filled out the form." A fake post office box and voicemail phone service were set up in the
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denied Field played any significant role in overcoming the diplomatic impasse on 1 July. "It wasn't a high-level visit. What he was doing was in a private capacity to see people he knew in Israel and I didn't raise any objection to him going." According to AJN, "While Field's visit eventually turned
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The sanctions included suspending official visits to Israel and foreign ministry contacts, requiring visas for Israeli officials to enter New Zealand. Clark said, "The ball is in Israel's court as to where it wants to move from here. Three months ago we asked for an apology and an explanation. That
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official Ian Tingey detected the irregularity and called the applicant, who had a Canadian or American accent. "When I quizzed him on his accent his explanation to me was he had not travelled or held a New Zealand passport before but had spent a lot of time in New Zealand with Canadian friends and
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Clark said that an official inquiry that began after the arrests revealed that an Israeli passport factory had been issuing New Zealand passports. "We turned up a very small number that emanated from what we believe to be Israeli intelligence. Those passports have been cancelled and it would be
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On 26 June 2005, Foreign Minister Shalom sent a letter of apology to the New Zealand government saying, "In this context, we wish to express our regret for the activities which resulted in the arrest and conviction of two Israel citizens in New Zealand on criminal charges and apologize for the
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The case was presided over by Judge Chris Field. Cara was represented by Grant Illingworth and Kelman was represented by Nigel Faigan. Illingworth and Faigan unsuccessfully tried to get the case dismissed early by saying that pre-trial publicity was "highly prejudicial."
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out to have critical diplomatic significance, it was described as private so as not to be seen as violating the sanctions imposed by Clark. Nonetheless, throughout his visit Field served as middleman between the two Governments, maintaining phone contacts with
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Kelman and Cara denied membership in Mossad but pleaded guilty to trying to enter the country illegally and working with organised criminal gangs. They were sentenced to six months in jail and ordered to pay US$ 32,500 to a
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involvement of Israeli citizens in such activities. Israel commits itself to taking steps to prevent a recurrence of similar incidents in the future." Diplomatic relations were fully re-established on 30 August 2005 when
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Nadav said New Zealand once "had excellent warm and friendly relations before and we wish to restore them to that same intensity. Yet we don't want to rush things by inundating New Zealand with ideas and programmes."
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family." Tingey contacted the father of the disabled man and realised the application was a fraud. The police bugged Kelman's and Cara's phones, set up a sting operation, and caught Kelman and Cara in March 2004.
103:, delayed approval for a new Israeli ambassador to New Zealand, and called the case "far more than simple criminal behaviour by two individuals" which "seriously strained our relationship." 278: 572: 638: 540: 508: 110:
expressed sorrow, and said that Israel would work to repair the relationship. Dr. Alon Liel, former Director-General of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, said that Israel must protest the
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before a guard of honour. The Foreign Minister's deputy director for Asia and the Pacific, Amos Nadav, said, "We are happy the crisis is behind us and look ahead to the future."
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agents, Uriel Kelman and Eli Cara, were caught trying to fraudulently acquire a New Zealand passport using the identity of a man with cerebral palsy. Prime Minister
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talks." Foreign Minister Goff denied that the talks between Israel's FM official Michael Ronen and Ambassador Henderson were a direct result of Field's visit.
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declared that New Zealand government viewed the acts carried out by Kelman and Cara as "not only utterly unacceptable but also a breach of New Zealand
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name of a man suffering from cerebral palsy, whose birth certificate was used in the passport application. New Zealand
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Prime Minister Clark cancelled a planned visit to New Zealand in August by
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When Shalom and Jan Henderson, the New Zealand ambassador to
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in order to secure Clark's approval for the start of the
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was an incident of passport fraud in July 2004 that led
269:"Jurors can see through big-case publicity says judge" 563:"Apology opens door for Israeli minister to visit NZ" 629:"Israel to take gradual approach to restoring ties" 499:"Israel remains silent over Mossad role in scandal" 157:presented his credentials, which were accepted, to 84:After serving either two or three months they were 531:"Israeli ambassador to meet NZ Governor-General" 330: 328: 8: 492: 490: 16:Identity fraud by suspected Mossad agents 21:2004 Israel–New Zealand passport scandal 596:"Paper claims MP paved way for apology" 336:"Ritual shows NZ, Israel again friends" 226: 475:from the original on 11 September 2021 313:from the original on 17 September 2021 440:from the original on 12 February 2021 396:"A murky tale of bugs and spy claims" 27:to take diplomatic sanctions against 7: 348:from the original on 7 October 2021. 641:from the original on 7 October 2021 627:Tommer, Yehonathan (27 June 2005). 608:from the original on 7 October 2021 575:from the original on 7 October 2021 543:from the original on 7 October 2021 408:from the original on 7 October 2021 363:"Israel 'admits' to NZ spy mission" 301:"New Zealand jails Israeli 'spies'" 215:Assassination of Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh 511:from the original on 11 March 2021 132:were subsequently vandalised with 14: 497:O'Sullivan, Fran (27 June 2005). 463:"New Zealand-Israeli row deepens" 375:from the original on 2 March 2021 281:from the original on 2 March 2021 267:Bingham, Eugene (19 March 2004). 248:from the original on 2 March 2021 234:Bingham, Eugene (17 April 2004). 686:Espionage scandals and incidents 122:futile to attempt to use them." 706:2004 in international relations 696:Jews and Judaism in New Zealand 676:July 2004 events in New Zealand 428:"Israel's New Zealand Problem" 394:Young, Audrey (27 June 2005). 210:New Zealand passport#Incidents 66:Department of Internal Affairs 1: 594:Taylor, Kevin (2 July 2005). 691:Israel–New Zealand relations 118:has not been forthcoming." 722: 236:"How the trap was sprung" 681:Espionage in New Zealand 105:Israeli Foreign Minister 634:The New Zealand Herald 601:The New Zealand Herald 568:The New Zealand Herald 536:The New Zealand Herald 504:The New Zealand Herald 401:The New Zealand Herald 368:The New Zealand Herald 341:The New Zealand Herald 274:The New Zealand Herald 241:The New Zealand Herald 176:Australian Jewish News 162:Dame Silvia Cartwright 112:diplomatic sanctions 371:. 27 October 2005. 181:Taito Phillip Field 539:. 29 August 2005. 344:. 31 August 2005. 98:Israeli President 49:international law 713: 651: 650: 648: 646: 624: 618: 617: 615: 613: 591: 585: 584: 582: 580: 571:. 28 June 2005. 559: 553: 552: 550: 548: 527: 521: 520: 518: 516: 494: 485: 484: 482: 480: 471:. 16 July 2004. 459: 450: 449: 447: 445: 436:. 15 July 2004. 424: 418: 417: 415: 413: 391: 385: 384: 382: 380: 359: 350: 349: 332: 323: 322: 320: 318: 309:. 15 July 2004. 297: 291: 290: 288: 286: 264: 258: 257: 255: 253: 231: 159:Governor-General 721: 720: 716: 715: 714: 712: 711: 710: 656: 655: 654: 644: 642: 626: 625: 621: 611: 609: 593: 592: 588: 578: 576: 561: 560: 556: 546: 544: 529: 528: 524: 514: 512: 496: 495: 488: 478: 476: 461: 460: 453: 443: 441: 426: 425: 421: 411: 409: 393: 392: 388: 378: 376: 361: 360: 353: 334: 333: 326: 316: 314: 299: 298: 294: 284: 282: 266: 265: 261: 251: 249: 233: 232: 228: 224: 206: 179:credited NZ MP 150: 94: 57: 17: 12: 11: 5: 719: 717: 709: 708: 703: 698: 693: 688: 683: 678: 673: 668: 666:2004 in Israel 658: 657: 653: 652: 619: 586: 554: 522: 486: 451: 419: 386: 351: 324: 292: 259: 225: 223: 220: 219: 218: 212: 205: 202: 149: 148:Reconciliation 146: 93: 90: 79:cerebral palsy 59:Howard Way, a 56: 53: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 718: 707: 704: 702: 701:Israeli spies 699: 697: 694: 692: 689: 687: 684: 682: 679: 677: 674: 672: 671:2004 scandals 669: 667: 664: 663: 661: 640: 636: 635: 630: 623: 620: 607: 603: 602: 597: 590: 587: 574: 570: 569: 564: 558: 555: 542: 538: 537: 532: 526: 523: 510: 506: 505: 500: 493: 491: 487: 474: 470: 469: 464: 458: 456: 452: 439: 435: 434: 429: 423: 420: 407: 403: 402: 397: 390: 387: 374: 370: 369: 364: 358: 356: 352: 347: 343: 342: 337: 331: 329: 325: 312: 308: 307: 302: 296: 293: 280: 276: 275: 270: 263: 260: 247: 243: 242: 237: 230: 227: 221: 216: 213: 211: 208: 207: 203: 201: 197: 195: 191: 186: 182: 178: 177: 172: 170: 165: 163: 160: 156: 155:Naftali Tamir 147: 145: 142: 139: 135: 131: 127: 123: 119: 115: 113: 109: 108:Silvan Shalom 106: 102: 99: 92:Repercussions 91: 89: 87: 82: 80: 74: 70: 67: 62: 54: 52: 50: 46: 42: 38: 34: 30: 26: 22: 643:. 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Index

New Zealand
Israel
suspected
Mossad
Helen Clark
sovereignty
international law
Lynfield
Department of Internal Affairs
cerebral palsy
deported
Israeli President
Moshe Katzav
Israeli Foreign Minister
Silvan Shalom
diplomatic sanctions
Jewish
Wellington
Swastikas
Nazi
slogans
Naftali Tamir
Governor-General
Dame Silvia Cartwright
Turkey
Australian Jewish News
Taito Phillip Field
Phil Goff
Wellington
Ankara

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