LONDON - Britain said on Tuesday it was expelling an Israeli diplomat over the use of forged British passports by suspected killers of a Hamas commander in Dubai. Here are some analysts' views on the expulsion: Robert Ayers, former US counter-intelligence officer:
I think the UK has taken a rather cowardly approach. It is not accusing Israel of assassinating someone. It has decided instead on a device, a contrivance -- to raise hell over a lesser crime. This decision enables it to show strength of character, but without actually doing anything. It's a dramatic step, with no impact. I don't think they wanted to publicly confront the government of Israel (over the killing). George Joffe, Department of Politics and International studies, University of Cambridge: "I'm quite sure that the Israeli government will protest most strongly what it will see as an unfair and hostile action. It will argue, first of all, there is no direct evidence that the Israeli government or Mossad was directly involved in the incident Dubai. Secondly, that there is no evidence that its personnel or agents actually were involved in forging passports. I'm afraid it's the beginning of a rather nasty little row." Garry Hindle, Royal United Services Institute, London: I don't think there will be any damage to the Israeli-British security relationship. The Foreign Office's arm was pretty much going to be twisted on this, once it became clear the passports had been forged. The Israelis have form on this practice. So the Foreign Office had little choice but to take what is fairly strong action. But I wouldn't see much damage on the security side. Nadim Shehadi, Chatham House, London:
In effect it's accusing Netanyahu (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) of ordering the killing of Mabhouh (Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a military commander from the Palestinian organisation Hamas). But it won't have too much effect in the region. People in the region will always see it as too little.
