Israeli General Refused NZ Visa
{{date|March 15, 2005}}
[[Image:LocationNewZealand.png|thumb|right|New Zealand]][[w:Israel|Israel's]] Deputy Chief of Staff Major-General Gabi Ashkenazi has been refused entry to [[w:New Zealand|New Zealand]], where he was due to attend a meeting of the United Israel Appeal in [[w:Auckland|Auckland]] last Sunday.

An NZ Foreign Office spokesman confirmed that a visa had been refused, linking the decision to the unresolved diplomatic row over  the conviction of two suspected Mossad members, Uri Kelman and Eli Cara, who attempted to fraudulently obtain a New Zealand passport - New Zealand is awaiting an official apology.

Jews in New Zealand are particularly upset, as the Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi visited New Zealand in August for talks with the NZ Government. Iran's stated goals include the destruction of Israel.

A spokesman for General Ashkenazi's office in Tel Aviv perferred to say that the general had decided not to visit New Zealand "for personal reasons", rather than admit to the denied visa.

==References==
*{{source|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10115325
|title=Government shuts out Israeli general
|author=Patrick Goodenough
|pub=New Zealand Herald
|date=March 15, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3217921a6160,00.html
|title=Israeli officer refused visa, Goff confirms
|author=
|pub=Stuff.co.nz
|date=March 15, 2005}}

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[[Category:New Zealand]]
[[Category:Israel]]
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:Published]]
[[Category:Oceania]]
[[Category:Auckland]]
New ZealandIsrael's Deputy Chief of Staff Major-General Gabi Ashkenazi has been refused entry to New Zealand, where he was due to attend a meeting of the United Israel Appeal in Auckland last Sunday.

An NZ Foreign Office spokesman confirmed that a visa had been refused, linking the decision to the unresolved diplomatic row over  the conviction of two suspected Mossad members, Uri Kelman and Eli Cara, who attempted to fraudulently obtain a New Zealand passport - New Zealand is awaiting an official apology.

Jews in New Zealand are particularly upset, as the Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi visited New Zealand in August for talks with the NZ Government. Iran's stated goals include the destruction of Israel.

A spokesman for General Ashkenazi's office in Tel Aviv perferred to say that the general had decided not to visit New Zealand "for personal reasons", rather than admit to the denied visa.

*
New Zealand Israel Politics and conflicts Published Oceania Auckland