Fear and frustration for Australian families in passport affair
WHEN news broke that the passports of three Australians had allegedly been forged as part of the al-Mabhouh assassination, all eyes turned to Melbourne, where the three came from.
WHEN news broke that the passports of three Australians had allegedly been forged as part of the al-Mabhouh assassination, all eyes turned to Melbourne, where the three came from.
Although all now live in Israel, Joshua Bruce, Nicole McCabe and Adam Korman were all born -— and the former two educated -— locally.
Bruce, a graduate of Leibler Yavneh College, spent a year in Israel after finishing high school in 1998.
He later returned to the Jewish State, settling and spending the past seven years learning at an Orthodox yeshivah.
Bruce’s mother Sarah told the media she was “totally surprised” that her son’s passport had been used fraudulently.
“We’ve spoken to him and he’s also totally surprised,” she said. “There is no explanation. It’s fraud that his passport has been used.”
Earlier, she said the family fears for Bruce’s safety.
“He’s not involved in anything,” she said, adding that she hoped “there are no repercussions”.
Jane Kramer, the mother of Nicole McCabe, also said she feared for her daughter’s wellbeing.
A former student of Mount Scopus Memorial College, McCabe has since made aliyah to Israel, where she married Tsahi Look, taking his name. She is currently six months pregnant with their first child.
“I’m terrified. I haven’t slept and I’m shaky. I’m worried for my health and I’m worried for my baby’s health,” she told the Herald Sun after the news broke.
“I’ve been watching this for the last two weeks and felt sorry for all the people. Then it was my turn. I was in absolute shock.”
McCabe said she has never heard of the third Australian, Korman, despite forgeries of their passports being used in Dubai at the same time.
Korman, who lives in Tel Aviv where he makes and repairs musical instruments, moved to Israel in 1982 with his parents and two siblings.
Now married, he previously completed his required national army service, living more of his 34 years in Israel than in Australia.
“It’s identity theft, simply unbelievable,” he told Israeli newspaper Yediot Acharonot.
“It’s a violation of human rights to do such a thing … I have been frightened and shocked since receiving the news.”
The three passports were all issued in 2003 and while Bruce, McCabe and Korman have each travelled beyond Australia and Israel, none has ever visited Dubai.