Canada now involved in New Zealand passport fiasco
JPost.com Staff, THE JEURSALEM POST Jul. 31, 2004
Canada is investigating why Uriel Kelman, an Israeli implicated in the New Zealand passport fiasco, used a Canadian passport to enter New Zealand.
According to a report in the New Zealand Herald newspaper, Kelman – who is serving a six-month sentence in New Zealand for trying to obtain local passports for the Mossad – entered New Zealand in 1999 using a Canadian passport rather than an Israeli one.
The Canadian investigation began immediately after Kelman's testimony to police last April, in which he admitted to entering the country using the Canadian passport in 1999. Canada called back its ambassador to Israel in 1997 when it discovered that Mossad agents had used illegally obtained Canadian passports in the botched attempt on Hamas official Khaled Mashaal in Jordan that year.
Israel then promised it would cease using Canadian passports.
During his last visit to New Zealand, Kelman – who is awaiting the result of a petition against his sentence along with Eli Cara – entered the country using his Israeli passport.
Meanwhile, New Zealand police are still seeking Anthony David Reznik, a New Zealander, whom they believe assisted alleged Israeli agents in their attempts to acquire forged New Zealand passports.
Reznik, 35, is a paramedic who worked for an ambulance company that supplied services to a crippled man in whose name a passport application was filed with a photograph of Ze'ev William Barkan, a former Israeli diplomat who disappeared soon after Cara and Kelman were arrested in March.
The two pleaded guilty for attempting to fraudulently acquire New Zealand passports.
The New Zealand government has maintained, ever since the scandal broke, that Cara, Kelman, and Barkan are Mossad spies, and demanded an official apology from Israel.
According to New Zealand's TVNZ network, Reznik, the "fourth man" lived in Israel for 13 years and served in the IDF, where he trained as a medic.
Israel Radio reported last week that Reznik fled New Zealand to Hong Kong soon after Cara and Kelman were arrested. His wife and children joined him a few days later.
Reznik left his paramedic position with St. John Ambulance in Auckland two years ago and started lecturing in the division of health care practice at AUT.
On March 25, the day after Cara and Kelman were arrested, Reznik failed to turn up at a lecture and soon after presented his resignation by e-mail.
New Zealand Television reported that Barkan is a former Israeli diplomat who served in Austria and Belgium for Israel's Foreign Ministry.
Television New Zealand reported that Barkan worked as an attache at the Israeli Embassy in Austria, and also served in Belgium.
As part of its story entitled "Alleged Israeli spy kingpin exposed," TVNZ claimed it has confirmed that the third man at the center of what it called "the Jewish spy scandal" is a former Israeli diplomat.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satell...le/ShowFull&cid=1091255389993&p=1006688055060
JPost.com Staff, THE JEURSALEM POST Jul. 31, 2004
Canada is investigating why Uriel Kelman, an Israeli implicated in the New Zealand passport fiasco, used a Canadian passport to enter New Zealand.
According to a report in the New Zealand Herald newspaper, Kelman – who is serving a six-month sentence in New Zealand for trying to obtain local passports for the Mossad – entered New Zealand in 1999 using a Canadian passport rather than an Israeli one.
The Canadian investigation began immediately after Kelman's testimony to police last April, in which he admitted to entering the country using the Canadian passport in 1999. Canada called back its ambassador to Israel in 1997 when it discovered that Mossad agents had used illegally obtained Canadian passports in the botched attempt on Hamas official Khaled Mashaal in Jordan that year.
Israel then promised it would cease using Canadian passports.
During his last visit to New Zealand, Kelman – who is awaiting the result of a petition against his sentence along with Eli Cara – entered the country using his Israeli passport.
Meanwhile, New Zealand police are still seeking Anthony David Reznik, a New Zealander, whom they believe assisted alleged Israeli agents in their attempts to acquire forged New Zealand passports.
Reznik, 35, is a paramedic who worked for an ambulance company that supplied services to a crippled man in whose name a passport application was filed with a photograph of Ze'ev William Barkan, a former Israeli diplomat who disappeared soon after Cara and Kelman were arrested in March.
The two pleaded guilty for attempting to fraudulently acquire New Zealand passports.
The New Zealand government has maintained, ever since the scandal broke, that Cara, Kelman, and Barkan are Mossad spies, and demanded an official apology from Israel.
According to New Zealand's TVNZ network, Reznik, the "fourth man" lived in Israel for 13 years and served in the IDF, where he trained as a medic.
Israel Radio reported last week that Reznik fled New Zealand to Hong Kong soon after Cara and Kelman were arrested. His wife and children joined him a few days later.
Reznik left his paramedic position with St. John Ambulance in Auckland two years ago and started lecturing in the division of health care practice at AUT.
On March 25, the day after Cara and Kelman were arrested, Reznik failed to turn up at a lecture and soon after presented his resignation by e-mail.
New Zealand Television reported that Barkan is a former Israeli diplomat who served in Austria and Belgium for Israel's Foreign Ministry.
Television New Zealand reported that Barkan worked as an attache at the Israeli Embassy in Austria, and also served in Belgium.
As part of its story entitled "Alleged Israeli spy kingpin exposed," TVNZ claimed it has confirmed that the third man at the center of what it called "the Jewish spy scandal" is a former Israeli diplomat.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satell...le/ShowFull&cid=1091255389993&p=1006688055060