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Israeli Ambassador to Australia Yuval Rotem - Source: Reuters -
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A chill has descended on the relationship between Australia and
Israel after Australian passports were fraudulently used in the
assassination of a political figure in Dubai.
Would-be assassins with suspected links to the Israeli spy agency
Mossad are believed to have stolen the identities of three people
from Victoria.
The suspects were then involved in the murder of senior Hamas
operator Mahmud al-Mabhuh in a luxury hotel on January 20.
The story has gripped the world as it allegedly involves 26
assassins, travelling on fake passports and some dressed in tennis
gear, in a sophisticated operation to kill the victim in his hotel
room.
Foreign Minister Stephen Smith summoned the Israeli ambassador to
warn that if Israel was involved in the passport fraud, it would
not be seen as the act of a friend.
Smith has formally warned Israel that relations could be
seriously damaged by the passport affair.
The three Australian passport-holders, Joshua Bruce, Adam Korman
and Nicole McCabe, are believed to be innocent victims of identity
theft.
The mother of Bruce has expressed her fears of repercussions
against her son, whose passport page has been beamed around the
world in connection with the murder.
Amid the political fallout, Australians have been told not to worry
about their passports despite the possibility of identity
theft.
The Australian Federal Police, Australian Passport Office and spy
agency ASIO have launched an investigation into the matter and
Smith demanded Israel's co-operation.
"If we didn't receive that co-operation, then we would potentially
draw adverse conclusions from that," Smith warned.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said the matter was of the deepest
concern and vowed authorities would get to the bottom of it.
Israel, following a long-standing policy, is declining to comment
on the killing.
An expert on Middle Eastern politics at the Australian National
University, Matthew Gray, said the passport issue was a rare test
in the usually solid Israeli-Australian relationship.
"I don't think this would destroy the relationship but it could
test it," Gray said.
"In my view, we'd be more likely to be diplomatically cold for a
certain period."
Australia was broadly pro-Israel when it came to the conflict over
Palestine, but the passport issue could jeopardise the degree of
closeness, Gray said.
Australia could recall its ambassador to Israel, restrict Israeli
access to decision-makers or cancel ministerial visits, he
said.
Sarah Bruce, the mother of Bruce, expressed fears of reprisal
attacks against her son.
"I am fearful, but hopefully everyone will see that it is fraud.
It's not his photo in the pictures they're flashing around
everywhere," Bruce said from her Melbourne home.
Bruce said she was totally shocked, and her son had no idea he
had been implicated until she told him.
According to media reports, fellow identity theft victim Nicole
McCabe is due to have a baby shortly and her family is shocked at
the affair.
And the third victim, Adam Korman, says the identity theft is
simply unbelievable and he has never even been to Dubai.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott blamed the government for a lax
passport system.
"Why didn't the government put in place a passport system that
could not be subjected to this kind of scamming?" he told reporters
in Canberra.
But Smith rejected the criticism, saying all three passports had
been issued in 2003 under the former Liberal government.
Newer passports than the 2003 "L-series" have microchips that make
them harder to use fraudulently.
"People should understand very carefully that no one is suggesting
that there is any need to replace old passports," Mr Smith told
parliament.
But he said there was no guarantee passports would not be forged or
abused.
The other passports allegedly used fraudulently by the assassins
were from the UK, Ireland, France and Germany.
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