The statement by EU foreign ministers in Brussels condemning the use of European countries' passports in the assassination of Hamas commander Mahmoud Al Mabhouh in Dubai last month was well timed. It came as UAE authorities unveiled details of more passports used in the criminal attack. It is not surprising that almost half of the passports used were British. Security and intelligence co-operation between London and Tel Aviv has always been strong, and this will likely continue.
The remark by head of Dubai Police Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim expressing regret that criminals "used travel documents of friendly countries" was definitely meant to draw attention to a serious matter in a subtle way. Yet, it is not expected that the West will be prepared to go further than making statements of condemnation. Nothing has happened — in the view of the western media and the public shaped by it — that would change the West's view on Israel, Arabs and Muslims: the mainstream perception is that Israel is the "only western democracy" in a region of extremists.
It is not expected that the West, especially the UK and France, will question Israel's explanation of anything — literally, anything when it comes to Arabs — and accept an Arab view. If it did so, in the view of the majority of its media the West would be supporting "terrorism". Nato raids are killing poor, innocent civilians in Afghanistan and hundreds of thousands were killed in Iraq. These people are terrorists, according to Israel and the West, who should be sought out and killed anywhere, whether in their peaceful villages or in luxury hotels. But the fully armed (most Israelis are either in the military, reservists or armed colonists) colonialist occupiers, who kill an indigenous population and violate all laws, are not terrorists. On the contrary, they are defending the West and western values against terrorist Arabs and Muslims — at least according to mainstream western media.
The West's mild reaction to Israel's misuse of its passports is not without precedent. In 1997, an investigation into a failed assassination attempt against Hamas figure Khalid Mesha'al in Amman revealed that Mossad agents were carrying Canadian passports. Canada protested and recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv for ‘consultation', but in two weeks' time the whole issue was settled and Canadian support of Israel was not affected in the slightest. In 2004, New Zealand arrested two Mossad agents who were trying to procure passports illegally. It protested and relations with Israel were strained. Afterwards everything went back to normal and security co-operation continued.
In 1987, when it was discovered that Israeli agents used British passports in an assassination operation, the government reacted decisively. The then prime minister Margaret Thatcher expelled 14 Israeli diplomats and closed the Mossad station in London. Though British support of Israel didn't wane, the diplomatic measure was severe. Israel vowed not to do it again and things returned to normal. But seeing as the intelligence world is dirty and grey, promises are always broken. The current government of Gordon Brown (Tony Blair's political mate) is not going to take any strong action.
As an editorial in one of the London dailies put it, "Diplomatic outrage is one thing, but severing ties with Mossad to punish Israel's secret service for using British passports for an assassination would be to Britain's detriment". The West's co-operation with the likes of Mossad, Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence, the Saudis and the Algerians is vital, as the paper went on to say. What went unsaid is that this co-operation is vital, in the West's view, to counter Palestinian, Arab and Muslim ‘terrorists'.
A few in the West, where there's a policy of deflecting any blame away from Israel and diverting attention to other issues, have interpreted Dubai's actions as an attempt at revenge. They argue that Dubai felt the pain of the media onslaught on its reputation late last year when Dubai World announced its restructuring. That argument ignores the simple fact that Dubai is protecting its reputation, and using all means to assure residents and visitors (many of them westerners) of its peaceful and secure nature.
Yes, most of the negative media campaign against Dubai was in English, and probably informed by leaks and fabrications from some western businesses trying to pressure the emirate so they could get their way in business dealings. But I do not think Dubai Police is concerned with anything other than protecting people living in or visiting Dubai.
Dr Ahmad Mustafa is a London-based Arab writer.
