Antiwar.com: Britain Ousts Israeli Diplomat Over Dubai Forgeries

Britain Ousts Israeli Diplomat Over Dubai Forgeries

Israeli Officials Slam British ‘Hypocrisy’

by Jason Ditz, March 23, 2010

Citing compelling evidence that the Israeli government was responsible for the Dubai assassination, and the forgery of British passports used in the assassination, Foreign Secretary David Miliband announced the ouster of an Israeli diplomat from the nation.

The stolen passports used by the apparent Mossad hit squad included multiple passports containing data stolen from British citizens who were in Israel at the time. The British government said their investigation concluded the forgeries would only have been possible for a government agency which had access to the authentic passports, which of course the Israeli government would have.

Israeli MPs were quick to condemn the British government for hypocrisy, and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman complained that Britain had never showed Israel any proof to back up its assertions. At the same time, Israeli officials say, no retaliatory expulsions will be made.

It seems however that the Netanyahu government’s behavior since taking office is increasingly alienated Israel’s traditionally unquestioning allies. Not only is the Dubai affair straining ties with Britain and other nations involved in the passport data theft, but the European Union and the Obama Administration also seem to be increasingly irked by the Netanyahu government’s confrontational attitude on settlement expansion.

Source: Antiwar.com