New Zealand investigates ‘suspicious’ Israeli spy activity [updated]
July 20, 2011 4 Comments
Ofer Mizrahi
By JOSEPH FITSANAKIS | intelNews.org |
Authorities in New Zealand have confirmed that they investigated a series of suspicious actions by alleged Israeli intelligence operatives, in the days following last February’s earthquake in Christchurch. According to publicly available data, at least three of the 181 people who died in the February 22 earthquake were Israelis. Admittedly, the number of Israeli victims was relatively small, which is why New Zealand authorities were baffled by the Israeli government’s intense concern about the earthquake. On the day of the disaster, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on the telephone no fewer than four times with his New Zealand counterpart, John Key, which some New Zealand officials found odd at the time. Even stranger was a subsequent encounter between an armed New Zealand security force and an unauthorized Israeli rescue squad, in the days following the earthquake. The Israeli squad was found roaming in Christchurch’s cordoned ‘red zone’, without an official rescue accreditation by either the United Nations or the New Zealand government. After a brief but tense exchange, the Israelis were escorted out of the ‘red zone’, and the episode led to “intense diplomatic exchanges” between Wellington and Tel Aviv, according to New Zealand media. A possible solution to the riddle came with the discovery in Christchurch of the dead body of an Israeli named Ofer Benyamin Mizrahi. Mizrahi, who died when part of a building fell on the van he was riding in, was found to be carrying at least five different passports bearing his photograph. Moreover, there were three other Israelis in the van with Mizrahi when he died. The three, Michal Fraidman, Liron Sade and Guy Jordan, managed to escape with their lives. But instead of contacting New Zealand authorities to report the death of Mizrahi, they hurriedly fled the country 12 hours later. Some observers now believe that the Israeli government’s intense interest in the Christchurch earthquake centered on extricating Mizrahi’s body and the potentially sensitive personal documents he was carrying, as well as those of two other Israelis who died during the disaster, Ofer Levy and Gabi Ingel. Questioned by journalists on Wednesday, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key refused to discuss the content of his telephone exchanges with Mr. Netanyahu on the day of the earthquake. He also refused to discuss the Mizrahi case or to say whether the Israeli government had done anything wrong, arguing that it would not be “in the national interest” for him to do so (update: the BBC reports that Key has denied that the Israeli group had ties to intelligence agencies). In a possibly related development, New Zealand’s Security Intelligence Service is investigating claims that Israeli intelligence operatives have infiltrated the country’s national police computer system, by covertly installing surveillance software. Veteran New Zealand intelligence observer Nicky Hager told The Dominion Post that having access to the country’s police national computer system would be “like gold” to a foreign intelligence agency.
They are everywhere these Israelis. Considering their numbers this is some performance and achievement. What are they upto? We in the Middle East know why but do the Kiwis know? They should find out soon before they achieve what they have in the United States of A(IPAC).
More disgusting Israeli activities. I don’t understand why other nations put up with this crap! Once Israeli government complicity in these matters is proven withdraw diplomatic recognition and deport all Israelis. When you find a deadly disease it should be inoculated against. In other words remove the bacteria!
PS: It would be interesting to know what other countries were also compromised by the various passports being held by the deceased
By deception we shall do war! The motto of Mossad!
Its definetly not intelligent how the Israeli Intelligence Service and Politics are working in general. They´re always so fast at hand with blaming other countries or organisations for “bad” intentions when some unwanted/unexpected foreigners cross their main territory borders (the unauthorized turkish supply vessels for example), and that even when the case of humanitary help is so obvious a blind could see it. They try to keep their frontyard clean, by any cost.
Me didn´t forget they shot and killed many over the last decades, in the UK, in France, in Germany…. and they still do that, maybe now, maybe right at this moment. Somewhere in the world. With false passports and obscure intentions they infiltrate the corpse of a peaceful civilisation, hit and run. They´re going abroad, infiltrate to other countries in disguise, kill people when “neccessary” and no one is allowed blame that behaviour? Shame ! No matter where they come from, a spy is a spy. What would happen if others, maybe spain or poland, pakistan, india, palestine or the russians would do the same in Israel ? Surely this Mr Mizrahi and his fellows were in no peace keeping mission on NZL-Territory that day. If they wanted to do humanitary work there why did he have multiple passports ? People like those should be arrested, judged, banned and expelled from every country as soon as they get spotted. Immediately.