Israel has apologized to New Zealand for the passport affair, after New Zealand suspended all high level contacts between the two countries. But instead of graciously accepting the apology and putting the affair behind them, New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark has decided to rub Israel’s face in it.
Israel’s apology for two of its citizens who illegally obtained New Zealand passports is proof the pair were secret agents, Prime Minister Helen Clark said Monday.In a letter released Sunday, Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom apologized for the involvement of Israeli citizens in criminal activities and vowed to take steps to ensure it doesn’t happen again.“We believe there was a very good reason for the apology. The apology has been offered and I think it speaks for itself,” Clark told reporters a day after Israel apologized for the incident, allowing the two nations to restore full diplomatic relations and end an 11-month spat.
“It is an acknowledgment that these people were associated with Israeli intelligence agencies. That’s always been our belief,” she said.
Actually, the apology does nothing of the kind. Did it occur to Clark that Israel apologized since it desires warm relations with New Zealand, and Clark’s grandstanding made it clear this would not happen unless an apology was forthcoming? In fact, Israel does not accept responsibility for the actions of the men involved.
Israeli sources emphasized that Shalom’s letter did not accept Israel’s responsibility for the acts attributed to the Israelis.
It looks to me like Clark is trying to gain political mileage out of this. Look at me, I showed those Israelis who’s boss.
Clark should just move past the affair already, and concentrate on staying inside airplanes, rather than trying to score cheap political points.
