Monday, February 22, 2010

'False accusations against Israel'


HERB KEINON AND ASSOCIATED PRESS
22/02/2010 16:51

On sidelines of EU meeting, FM cites insufficient evidence in Dubai case.
Talkbacks (1)

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman met on Monday afternoon with Irish Foreign Minister Michael Martin to discuss the implications of the reported Dubai spy case.

Meeting with a number of his European colleagues on the sidelines of a conference of the EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Lieberman told his Irish colleague that there is no evidence indicating Israeli involvement in the assassination of Hamas terror chief Mahmoud al-Mabhouh last month. He added that were someone to present information beyond what is in the newspapers, Israel would relate to it, but since there is no such information, there is no need for Israel to deal with the matter.

Lieberman said that there are many false accusations against Israel on any number of issues, and that there is an Arab inclination to blame Israel for everything. He went on to raise the possibility that someone in the Arab world was responsible for the assassination.

Lieberman explained that in the Middle East, there are any number of internal battles inside non-democratic organizations and countries.

Mabhouh's body was found in a Dubai hotel room last month. Suspicion has fallen on a hit squad from Israel's Mossad spy agency.

Meanwhile on Monday, the EU was questioning Israel about falsified European passports used in the assassination – suspectedly the work of the Mossad.

Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said the EU was "extremely concerned" that suspects in the Jan. 20 killing of Mabhouh carried fake EU passports.

He also stated his intention to broach the issue with Lieberman.

Israel has linked Mabhouh to the smuggling of arms into Gaza and the slaying of two Israeli soldiers on leave.

http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=169368

No comments: