- The Canadian Foreign Ministry confirmed Saturday that
an investigation has begun into why Mossad agent Uriel Kelman, currently
jailed in Auckland, used a Canadian passport to gain entry into New Zealand,
in violation of an Israeli promise to refrain from using Canadian passports
for illegal purposes.
-
- Kelman and fellow Israeli Elisha Cara were imprisoned
for six months earlier this month for attempting to fraudulently obtain
a New Zealand passport.
-
- A report on the Canadian investigation was first published
in the New Zealand Herald.
-
- New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark announced after
the Auckland court's verdict two weeks ago, that Kelman and Cara had operated
"on behalf of the intelligence services of Israel."
-
- The use of Canadian passports by Mossad agents came to
light in 1997, following a failed attempt to assassinate Hamas leader Khaled
Meshal in Jordan.
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- In the wake of the incident, Canada demanded that Israel
cease using its passports, and the Israeli government gave its commitment
to refrain from using the documents for illegal purposes.
-
- The Canadian investigation will focus on why Kelman used
the passport and for what purpose. A spokesman for the Canadian government
said that Kelman, who is a Canadian national, had used his own passport
and not a forged one.
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- Kelman used the passport in 1999 to enter New Zealand.
-
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- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem said it
was unaware of any ongoing investigation in Canada into Mossad use of Canadian
passports.
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