Israeli FM: No Need to Help Britain With Dubai Inquiry

Blames 'The Arabs' for Fueling Criticism of Assassination

by Jason Ditz, February 22, 2010

As evidence mounts pointing to Mossad responsibility for the Dubai assassination, most diplomats would be in damage control mode, especially with the European nations who had passports forged in the plot.

Israeli FM Avigdor Lieberman

Not Israel’s top diplomat, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, however, who angrily rebuffed a British request for cooperation in the investigation of stolen British passport data. His British counterpart, David Miliband, said he intends to underscore to Lieberman the “seriousness of the issue.”

But for the time being the Israeli foreign ministry seems determined to take the “official ambiguity” position beyond all levels of reason. In later comments, Lieberman blamed “the Arabs” for fueling the controversy, and declared that Arab nations “are not as democratic as Israel is.”

The January assassination saw several apparent Mossad members infiltrate a Dubai hotel and kill a key Hamas member. Dubai police are already seeking the arrest of Mossad Chief Mair Dagan, and have suggested they may also seek an arrest warrant against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is said to have signed off on the attack.

But the biggest controversy stemming from the plot was the stolen passport data, including several people with dual British-Israeli citizenship who had their data stolen and used by the assassins. All of the Britons were in Israel at the time of the killing, and were apparently unaware that their data had been compromised.

Last 5 posts by Jason Ditz