Smith went too far on passports, say leaders

JEWISH community representatives have expressed dismay at the Federal Government’s decision to expel a diplomat from the Israeli embassy in the wake of the passport forgeries.

In a joint statement, Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Robert Goot and Zionist Federation of Australia president Philip Chester described the expulsion order as “an overreaction”.

The organisations pointed out that Foreign Minister Stephen Smith’s statement to Parliament this week “does not disclose any specific evidence in support of his conclusions about Israel’s involvement in the matter”.

“Little good can come from taking punitive action in relation to this matter against Israel, which is the Middle East’s only stable democracy and the only Middle Eastern country that can be relied on to act resolutely against international terrorism.

Goot and Chester said they were confident the longstanding friendship and cooperation between Australia and Israel would endure, “and that Australia’s strong bipartisan support for Israel, and for a just and lasting peace between Israel and its neighbours, will remain steadfast”.

Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) executive director Dr Colin Rubenstein said the expulsion was “unhelpful”, as the Government had gone far enough when it “made clear its displeasure over the abuse of Australian passports in the strongest of possible terms”.

“While Australia followed a British precedent in its overreaction, no similar step has been taken by Ireland, France or Germany, all of whom also allegedly had forged passports implicated in the killing of senior Hamas terrorist Mahmoud al-Mabhouh.”

AIJAC national chairman Mark Leibler said claims by Dubai authorities over the incident “should not be accepted as necessarily unbiased and neutral, given Dubai’s apparent past tolerance of [Mahmoud] al-Mabhouh’s open and dubious activity on behalf of Hamas on Dubai soil”.

Leibler predicted Australia and Israel would continue to remain close allies.

“Australia and Israel have a longstanding friendship and common interests, with the threats of a nuclear-armed Iran and anti-western terrorism just two of the pressing world concerns that both countries will continue to confront together, despite today’s decision.”

AJN STAFF