Israel-New Zealand relations
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Israel-New Zealand relations, which soured in 2004 amid allegations of clandestine Israeli spying in New Zealand, recovered in 2005 after the Israeli Foreign Minister apologized to the New Zealand government for the actions of several Israeli citizens who were suspected of working for Mossad.[1] New Zealand has a consulate in Tel Aviv and Israel has an embassy in Canberra, Australia which also serves New Zealand. The Israeli embassy in Wellington was closed in October 2002 for financial reasons, but will soon reopen.[1] However, New Zealanders are warned against all travel to Israel because of terrorism-related risks.[2]
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New Zealand was accredited to Israel from The Hague in 1986. The accreditation was moved to Ankara, Turkey in February 1996. The New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) regional office in Dubai and the NZTE office in Ankara, cover Israel. Gad Propper was appointed New Zealand's Honorary Consul to Israel in June 1998. NZ Foreign Minister Phil Goff visited Israel from May 26-29 in 2003. New Zealand’s Minister for Research, Science and Technology, Pete Hodgson, made a technical working visit to Israel from November 26–December 3 in 2000. A delegation of four senior Israeli Foreign Ministry officials traveled to New Zealand for the inaugural New Zealand-Israel Foreign Ministry Consultations on September 11, 2003. A Knesset delegation visited New Zealand in August 2001.[2]
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[edit] Economic ties
In 1994 Israel opened a trade office in Auckland and the New Zealand and Israel Trade Association, known as NZITA, was established.[3] When NZITA was first created it was managed by Ezra Karon and led by Auckland businessmen Mike Nathan and David Nathan.[3]
New Zealand sent about $12.5 million of exports to Israel in 2002 and received around $60.1 million of imports, including fertilizers, plastic and soap. By 2005 annual exports from New Zealand to Israel reached NZ$16.834 million. Exports were mostly milk and cream (13.8%), electronic circuit boards (11.1%), preserved meat or offal products (10.9%), casein (10.8%), and medications (7.4%). Exports from Israel to New Zealand, which were mostly manufactured goods like steam turbines (11.3%), industrial water heaters (5.2%), plastic sheets and films (4.7%), telecommunications equipment (4.7%), and inkjet printers (3.8%), reached NZ$88.15 million. Fonterra, New Zealand's largest dairy company, is involved in a joint venture with the Israeli cooperative Tnuva which opened in December 2001. Agricultural exports to Israel increased in 2005, but protective barriers prevent a significant trade in agricultural products from developing. Visitor visa waivers are in place to increase business travel and tourism.[4]
While the 2004 Israeli spies scandal did not leave "scars or grievances" between New Zealand and Israeli diplomats, the Jewish-New Zealander community was isolated economically. Business with Israel was hurt by a moratorium imposed by New Zealand companies on business deals and agreements until the crisis was resolved, significantly motivating Israel's apology.[4]
[edit] Israeli spies scandal
On July 15, 2004, New Zealand imposed diplomatic sanctions against Israel and suspended high-level contacts between the two countries in July of 2005 after two Israeli citizens, Uriel Zosha Kelman and Eli Cara, were convicted of passport fraud in Auckland. New Zealand police allege that a third Israeli citizen, former Israeli diplomat Zev William Barkan, was the one who actually tried to get the passport. Tony Resnick, a former paramedic with St John Ambulance, which the cerebral palsy sufferer also belonged to, is also believed to have been involved. Barkan and Resnick were never found, but are believed to have left New Zealand before Kelman and Cara were caught. The New Zealand government said there was strong evidence that the two men were Mossad agents and Prime Minister Helen Clark said, "The New Zealand government views the act carried out by the Israeli intelligence agents as not only utterly unacceptable but also a breach of New Zealand sovereignty and international law." Kelman and Cara, who denied membership in Mossad but plead guilty to trying to enter the country illegally and working with organized criminal gangs, were sentenced to six months in jail. They were also ordered to pay US $32,500 to a cerebral palsy charity because they tried to collect a passport in the name of a wheelchair-bound cerebral palsy victim.[5] After serving either two[6] or three months[7] they were deported. Cara, who visited New Zealand 24 times between October 2000 and March 2005, claims he was working as a travel agent.[8]
[edit] Repercussions
Prime Minister Clark cancelled a planned visit to New Zealand in August by Israeli President Moshe Katzav, delayed approval for a new Israeli ambassador to New Zealand, and called the case "far more than simple criminal behaviour by two individuals" which "seriously strained our relationship." Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom expressed sorrow, and said that Israel would work to repair the relationship. Dr. Alon Liel, former Director-General of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, said that Israel must protest the sanctions, "for if not, it's a silent admission that the two men worked for the Mossad."[9]
Jewish graves in Wellington were vandalized with Swastikas and Nazi slogans carved into and around 16 Jewish graves. David Zwartz, a leader in the Jewish community in New Zealand who was appointed as the Honorary Consul from Israel to New Zealand in 2003, said, "there is a direct connection between the very strong expressions against Israel and people here feeling they can take it out on Jews. It seems to me Israel-bashing one day, Jew-bashing the next day."[10]
[edit] Reconciliation
On June 26, 2005 Foreign Minister Shalom sent a letter of apology to the New Zealand government saying, "In this context, we wish to express our regret for the activities which resulted in the arrest and conviction of two Israel citizens in New Zealand on criminal charges and apologize for the involvement of Israeli citizens in such activities.[11] Israel commits itself to taking steps to prevent a recurrence of similar incidents in the future."[12] Diplomatic relations were fully re-established on August 30, 2005 when Naftali Tamir presented his credentials, which were accepted, to Governor-General Dame Silvia Cartwright before a guard of honor."[13] The Foreign Minister's deputy director for Asia and the Pacific, Amos Nadav, said, "We are happy the crisis is behind us and look ahead to the future."[14]
[edit] Criticism of the Clark administration
NZ MP Ken Shirley accused the Clark administration of aggravating the tension by refusing to allow an Israeli Deputy Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi to visit New Zealand for one day because of the freeze on visits from Israeli officials. Shirley said sanctions were supposed to only deny entry Israeli diplomats on official business and "This was clearly not the case in this instance. Mr Ashkenazi was invited to New Zealand by the United Israel Appeal to address an invitation-only meeting ... This was a fundraising event for a home for disadvantaged children in Israel. The message that Labour is sending out is that Israeli citizens aren't welcome in this country, whereas [Foreign Minister] Phil Goff is happy to strut the world stage holding hands with Yasser Arafat." Phil Goff defended the visa refusal, saying that "If the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army is not a high-level visit, then perhaps the member would like to explain to the House what it is."
[edit] 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
On August 14, 2006 Prime Minister Helen Clark expressed satisfaction that the United Nations Security Council had unanimously passed Resolution 1701, calling for a "full cessation of hostilities" between Israel and Hezbollah, on August 11.
"I call on all parties involved in this tragic conflict, as well as the wider international community, to use their influence to help bring peace and a lasting solution. New Zealand stands ready to consider what role we might play in an expanded UN presence in southern Lebanon, taking into account the other demands on our Defence Force."[15]
[edit] References
- ^ Israeli ambassador to meet NZ Governor-General
- ^ How the trap was sprung
- ^ How the trap was sprung
- ^ Israel to take gradual approach to restoring ties
- ^ New Zealand jails Israeli 'spies'
- ^ Ritual shows NZ, Israel again friends
- ^ Israel 'admits' to NZ spy mission
- ^ A murky tale of bugs and spy claims
- ^ Israel's New Zealand Problem
- ^ New Zealand-Israeli row deepens
- ^ Israeli ambassador to meet NZ Governor-General
- ^ Israel remains silent over Mossad role in scandal
- ^ Ritual shows NZ, Israel again friends
- ^ Apology opens door for Israeli minister to visit NZ
- ^ NZ welcomes Security Council resolution
