Israel dismayed at British refusal to receive Mossad representative

[ 04/05/2010 - 05:32 PM ]

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- Israeli political and intelligence sources expressed dismay at the UK's refusal to accept a new representative for the Israeli foreign intelligence apparatus known as the Mossad in its embassy in London, a Hebrew daily reported on Tuesday.

Yediot Ahronot said that the British government was evading the endorsement of a new representative in violation of previous understandings in this regard.

It quoted Israeli officials as expressing concern and dismay at the British stand in addition to the suspension of relations between the Mossad and the British intelligence.

The paper said that the British government was setting a condition for the return of a Mossad representative to London namely that Israel would sign a document vowing not to use British passports in any future Mossad operations.

It said that Israeli officials rejected such a condition because it would mean an indirect recognition of Israel's involvement in the assassination of Hamas leader Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh in Dubai.


UK Rejects New Mossad Representative
Al-Manar

04/05/2010 A month-and-a-half after the United Kingdom expelled the Mossad representative in London over Israel's forging of UK passports used in the assassination of Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai, Britain refuses to allow a new representative to enter the country, Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth has reported.

The Israeli daily said on Tuesday that London's refusal to accept a new Mossad representative comes despite prior understandings between the two countries, according to which the UK would allow a new representative to take the place of the one that was expelled.

The British condition the arrival of a new Mossad representative on an Israeli commitment, in writing, that no further use of British passports would be made by the intelligence agency in its operations.

Israel has so far abstained from signing such a document, as this may be interpreted as a confession to the use of forged British passports in the Dubai assassination.

Israeli security establishment officials are concerned with the stalemate in ties between the Israeli and British intelligence agencies. It is estimated that the affair will only be resolved, if at all, after the upcoming elections in the United Kingdom.



Tel Aviv is closely following political developments ahead of Thursday's British election. Israeli analysts believe that if the Liberal Democrat party becomes a significant component of the new government, this will have a bad influence on ties with Israel, as the party supports a boycott on Israel.

If the Conservative Party is elected to form the government, this could lead to an improvement in ties with Israel, and the possible restoration of relations between the two nations' intelligence agencies.

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