New Zealand passport
Photo: Channel 2
'Israeli president persona non grata'
New Zealand says Katzav unwelcome guest in light of earlier “Mossad agents” scandal
WELLINGTON - President Moshe Katzav is an unwelcome guest in light of an earlier “Mossad agents” scandal, New Zealand’s Prime Minister Helen Clark says.
Katzav is scheduled to visit Australia next month, and Clark was asked whether the president could travel to New Zealand, too, in the framework of the trip.
“Not under current conditions, certainly not,” she said.
Clark was referring to the arrest, in March of last year, of
Diplomatic relations
By YNETNEWS
The Australian government has secretly forced an Israeli diplomat to leave the country because of alleged ties to two Israelis suspected of being Mossad agents, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
New Zealand never expected this sort of conduct from a friendly government Clark said, and added that Israel knows what it must do to restore relations to the previous state.
President says he did not plan to come
“Diplomatic relations between Israel and New Zealand are highly constrained,” she said.
The President’s Office, meanwhile, said Clark’s remarks are irrelevant, because Katzav did not intend to visit New Zealand as part of his Australian trip.
Relations with Australia have also reportedly deteriorated recently in light of the New Zealand scandal. Australian authorities recently demanded that Israel’s consul-general in Canberra be sent back in light of apparent ties he had with the two suspected Mossad agents.
