Ireland Expels Israeli Diplomat

The Dublin Government has expelled an Israeli diplomat over the forged Irish passports used in the assassination of a member of Hamas in Dubai in January.

The move comes following the conclusion of an investigation conducted by the Department of Foreign Affairs' Passport Service and by An Garda Síochána into the assassination of Mr Mahmoud al Mabhouh.

In a statement issued today by Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin said the inquiry by the Passport Service Office had confirmed that the eight Irish passports used by suspects in the murder of Mahmoud al Mabhouh were forgeries.

Mr Marin said the balance of evidence uncovered, as well as the level of sophistication required in the manufacture of the forged passports, clearly pointed to "the involvement of a foreign state agency or a very well resourced criminal organisation with access to details of significant numbers of Irish passports".

He added that the findings from investigations conducted by the British and Australian government's had led his department to the "inescapable conclusion" that an Israeli government agency was responsible for the misuse and, most likely, the manufacture of the forged Irish passports associated with the murder of Mr. Mabhouh.

Mr Martin said: "I have to report that efforts to enlist the assistance of the Israeli authorities in the investigation of this case have yielded no response and no denial of Israeli involvement.

"Accordingly, I have proposed, and the Government has agreed at today's Cabinet meeting, that by way of protest at its unacceptable action, Israel be requested to withdraw a designated member of staff of its Embassy in Dublin.

"This demand has been conveyed to the Israeli Ambassador and I would expect it to be quickly acceded to."

The move has been welcomed by a number of pro Palestinian groups. Dr Fintan Lane, of the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign said: "There are many reasons to cut off diplomatic relations with the apartheid Israeli state, but the attack on the aid flotilla to Gaza should surely be the final straw. Israel is a rogue state that must be isolated by the international community.

"Sanctions should be brought against Israel by the EU and we would like to see the Irish government promoting such measures."

Minister Martin said the Government does not propose to reveal the name or function of the expelled diplomat.

He said the Government condemned the murder of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai in January.

All the citizens concerned have been issued with new passports free of charge.

(DW/BMcC)