Israel rules out spy case inquiry

Press, 10 March 1987, Page 6

Israel rules out spy case inquiry

NZPA-Reuter Tel Aviv The Prime Minister, Yitzhak Shamir, has ruled out any Israeli investigation into his country’s spy operation against the United States, despite demands for an inquiry into the embarrassing scandal. A United States Navy Intelligence analyst, Jonathan Pollard, aged 32, was sentenced to life imprisonment by a a Washington court last week after admitting to passing hundreds of top secret documents to Israel. His revelations have seriously strained Israel’s traditionally close relations with the United States. “The episode was painful, but between two friendly countries, mistakes happen,” Mr Shamir said. “As far as Israel is concerned, the Pollard affair is closed and there is no need to establish a commission of inquiry,” he added. Israeli leaders say the American was recruited as a spy behind their backs by an intelligence unit in the Defence Ministry that has since been disbanded. But the chairman of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, Abba Eban, said it was unrealistic to believe

that an inquiry could be avoided. “It is completely unserious to think that ... this will simply die down,” he told reporters. Neither of the two main partners in the coalition government, Mr Shamir’s Likud bloc and the Labour Party, appear to have much incentive to press for an investigation. Pollard’s espionage activities overlapped with the end of Mr Shamir’s 11-month term as Prime Minister of a Likud government in 1984, and the start of Mr Shimon Peres’ two years at Israel’s helm as the first leader of the present “national unity” coalition. At yesterday’s weekly Cabinet meeting, the Energy Minister, Moshe Shahal, and Minister without portfolio, Ezer Weizman, of Labour, and the Communications Minister, Amnon Rubinstein, of the Centrist Shinui Party, demanded a debate on the Government’s handling of the scandal. / The Cabinet has referred the issue to the 10man Inner Cabinet, which formulates security policy. The smaller group is expected to meet tomorrow. Half of its members — Messrs Shamir and Peres, the Labour Defence Min-

ister, Yitzhak Rabin, and Trade Minister, Ariel Sharon, and Minister without portfolio, Moshe Arens, of the Likud — have a personal stake in the case. Mr Shamir was Prime Minister and Mr Arens, Defence Minister, when Pollard was first recruited. Mr Peres was Prime Minister and Mr Rabin Defence Minister when he was captured. After the American’s arrest, Mr Sharon named Rafi Eitan, the shadowy spymaster who controlled Pollard, 'as v chairman of State-owned Israel Chemicals, one of the country’s largest firms. Mr Rabin oversaw the appointment of Colonel Aviem Sella, who .is alleged to have recruited Pollard, as commander of Israel’s second largest airbase. Colonel Bella’s appointment coincided with his indictment on espionage charges by a United States court. He is unlikely to face trial because Israeli law prohibits extradition of its citizens. Mr Rabin said yesterday that Israel had no objection to Colonel Sella being questioned by the United States Justice Department, as long as he first received immunity from prosecution.