PASSPORTS ISSUE:MINISTER FOR Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin has reiterated he wants to draw a "clear separation" between actions the Government might take in response to the use of fake Irish passports in the assassination of a Hamas official and outrage over the Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla this week.
The Irish Timesyesterday revealed that senior officials from several Government departments and the Garda have recommended the expulsion of an Israeli embassy security officer after concluding that Israel forged Irish passports used by suspects in the murder of Mahmoud al Mabhouh in Dubai earlier this year. Two Israeli nationals are posted as security officers at the embassy. There is no suggestion they were involved.
Mr Martin is expected to propose the recommendation be acted upon when he brings the matter to Cabinet. This is expected to happen the week after next, in part to put distance between it and the fallout from Israel’s attack on the aid vessels which resulted in the deaths of nine activists.
“I do intend to bring proposals to Government . . . in relation to the appropriate action deemed to be necessary in response to that situation, but I want to draw clear separation between that particular issue and what has happened earlier this week,” Mr Martin said yesterday. “I didn’t want that to get completely lost in terms of what was transpiring [on the flotilla] from early Monday morning onwards.”
Both Taoiseach Brian Cowen and Mr Martin refused to be drawn on the prospect of an Israeli embassy security officer being expelled.
The recommendation arose following the consideration of two reports concerning the use of eight fake Irish passports by the alleged assassins.
Israel’s ambassador to Ireland, Zion Evrony, declined to comment.