No no, says New Zealand

Gabi Ashkenazi refused entry into New Zealand because of forged passport scandal, New Zealand government says part of restrictions placed on high-level Israeli officials
By Ynetnews

The New Zealand Government has refused Deputy Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi entry into the country, the New Zealand Herald reports Tuesday.

Ashkenazi was invited for a one-day visit on Sunday to speak at a fundraising event organized by the United Israel Appeal.

Government minister Natan Sharansky

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replaced Ashkenazi after his visa was refused, and spoke to the audience by phone from Jerusalem.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Phil Goff said Monday the government had refused to issue Ashkenazi a visa due to the unresolved diplomatic crisis over the forged passport affair.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Prime Minister Helen Clark said he could not remember whether Ashkenazi's visa application had been brought to her attention.

"A matter like that would be the Foreign Minister's decision and it would be in keeping with the official position on contacts with Israel at present," he said.

While United Israel Appeal officials in Auckland and Sydney declined to comment on the incident, one Auckland Jew said the local Jewish community was disappointed.

"Why are such people rejected access when representatives of undemocratic states are here all the time?" he asked, referring to Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi's visit to New Zealand in August.

The diplomatic crisis worsens

The crisis between the two countries began in

March last year, when two Israeli nationals Eli Kra and Uri Felman were arrested and suspected of being Mossad agents after they attempted to acquire forged passports.

The two were eventually sentenced to six months in prison.

At the time, New Zealand had demanded an apology from Israel. However, Israel continues to deny any involvement in the affair.

As a result, restrictions have been placed on high-level visits from Israel to New Zealand.

In accordance to these diplomatic sanctions, Clark refused President Moshe Katzav entry into the country last month, as part of an official visit to Australia.

When asked whether the president could travel to New Zealand, too, in the framework of the trip, Clark had said “not under current conditions, certainly not.”

In recent weeks, the New Zealand media has reported Israeli government officials have attempted to repair the relationship between the two countries.

In response to the newspaper report, Israeli government officials said there are attempts at present to try to renew the excellent relationship the two countries once shared.

- Doron Sheffer also contributed to this report