Israel Arrests 2 U.K. Consulate Workers In Jerusalem

LONDON — Two local maintenance workers at the U.K. consulate in Jerusalem have been arrested by Israeli authorities on suspicion of selling weapons to Hamas militants, officials said Monday.

The arrests come after Israel's Shin Bet security service on Sunday disclosed that two alleged militants operating in east Jerusalem were arrested in November and indicted for buying weapons and planning to carry out attacks.

Israeli authorities have alleged the militants were scouting locations for an attack, including the possibility of allegedly launching a missile at a packed soccer stadium in Israel during a match. Three other men were charged with arms dealing in the same case, according to a statement from the Shin Bet.

An Israeli diplomat said Monday he believes the two British consulate employees – confirmed by the British Foreign Office as Mohammed Hamadeh and Bilal Bakhatan – are linked to the Hamas plot. A British Foreign Office spokesman said he believes the two maintenance workers are being investigated for allegedly selling illegal weapons, but that the U.K. is seeking confirmation from Israel.

"We are trying to figure out exactly what was their relation to this group of Hamas activists," the Israeli diplomat said on customary condition of anonymity. He added that an investigation was ongoing.

Israeli authorities have told British officials that the arrests are unrelated to the men's work at the consulate, a spokesman for Britain's Foreign Office said.

The British spokesman, also speaking on condition of anonymity according to departmental protocol, said the men were both local hires and were arrested last month. He said the U.K. it is awaiting confirmation of their nationalities.

He added that Britain has confidence in the vetting process for all its employees at consulates and embassies, which is under constant review. He said "events like these" arrests will be looked at as part of the continual review.

Comments

[StopFraudEsq]

08:01 PM on 01/13/2011

Good to hear. Everyone is entitled to self-defense. I don't see the problem. You mean they don't have a second amendment in Israel or Gaza?

[RubalKhali]

01:31 AM on 01/05/2011

Among those 107 killed by Israel during 2010, the PLO report shows that 10 were children, 4 women,2 political detainees in Israeli jails

[enderM]

07:26 AM on 01/05/2011

it has also been proven that the PLO lies about numbers as well as who is who.

[RubalKhali]

08:06 AM on 01/05/2011

Israel always tells the truth on the other hand?

[RubalKhali]

01:28 AM on 01/05/2011

And why would Palestinians want to do something like this? This may hold something of an answer;
http://gulfnews.com/news/region/palestinian-territories/alarming-rise-in-cases-of-violence-against-palestinians-1.740423
The Israeli authorities have approved the construction of 16,479 new housing units in Palestinian territories last year.

The Israelis have killed 107 Palestinians, demolished 145 houses and arrested 4,000 Palestinians in the same year.

In occupied East Jerusalem, the statement said that the Israelis have adopted unprecedented violent policy where the 63 houses were demolished, and 15 families were forced out of their properties under the full protection of the Israeli police, and border security.

The Israeli authorities have issued 1,334 demolition orders to Palestinian families in occupied East Jerusalem during 2010, targeting mainly the Arab neighbourhood of Silwan.

Apart from the approved new housing units, 10,000 housing units have been approved in the colonies in East Jerusalem, where the construction in 1,200 housing units have already started.

The statement warned that 125,000 Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem face threats of losing their residencies in the holy city, where the Palestinian residents ended up with no civil rights, and are not provided with any kind of facilities and services.

[TheRethuggery]

11:35 PM on 01/04/2011

I bet they were being "anti-Semites" and nothing more.

[Rallis]

04:28 PM on 01/05/2011

Israeli Minister "We always use the anti-Semitism trick or bring up the Holocaust"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uW3a1bw5XlE

[The-Brave-Hero]

02:48 PM on 01/04/2011

Well, maybe Abbas can ask for pardon and the Palestinians can write letters asking for clemency.

Today:

Netanyahu asks Obama to pardon jailed spy
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE70344P20110104

and, 500 Americans ask for clemency for Pollard
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/right-turn/2011/01/500_americans_ask_for_clemency.html

[Json]

03:37 PM on 01/04/2011

That is certainly their right to do so. In fact, they are constantly asking israel to release prisoners and no one seems to mind. It is only when israel asks US to release a spy do people care.

Yet another example of selective outrage when israel does something that pretty much every other country does as well.

[Amryxx]

03:43 PM on 01/04/2011

"every other country does as well"

I don't understand your first paragraph, nor do I recall a country asking for a release of one of their convicted spies.

Trade, yes. Pardon and release? Not to my knowledge.

[RubalKhali]

03:44 AM on 01/05/2011

And which of the thousand upon thousands of political prisoners held by Israel has America asked to be released, and which 'spy' languishing in an Israeli jail has Washington asked to be released?

[Amryxx]

03:40 PM on 01/04/2011

I think it's even crazier that people are calling these guys "terrorists" when they are ARRESTED, not CONVICTED.

Yes, I know, how dare we demand things like "trials" and whatnot.

[lightningbolt]

04:34 PM on 01/04/2011

I apologize.  I should have said suspected terrorists.

[Nwo2012]

05:20 PM on 01/04/2011

Anti-Semites?

Man. The bar for calling someone that is getting really, really low....

[Aziat]

07:55 PM on 01/04/2011

You are without a doubt one...amryxx for example isn't, even though he is highly critical of Israel...your pretty transparent

[Rock Brasiliano]

02:08 PM on 01/04/2011

Actually they were Guardian reporters embedded with the UK diplomatic corps...

[Planet Caravan]

02:29 PM on 01/04/2011

LOL. I'm laughing but you know that is not at all far fetched.

[Nwo2012]

07:09 AM on 01/05/2011

It takes a whole new level of self-absorbed paranoia to claim UK reporters are secret weapons dealers.

[IvanPomidorov]

10:28 AM on 01/04/2011

I think this is relevant:

"Germans, Britons linked to Europe plot killed in recent US Predator strike"

Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2010/09/germans_britons_link.php#ixzz1A5492pZ3

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2010/09/germans_britons_link.php

[Nwo2012]

11:54 AM on 01/04/2011

Why

[IvanPomidorov]

12:06 PM on 01/04/2011

Global Jihad

[albiecoyote]

08:21 AM on 01/04/2011

Palestinians shoot themselves in the foot at every turn.

[Soma99]

08:36 AM on 01/04/2011

Too true. Things like this are wonderful for Israel. Every plot uncovered or accomplished terrorist attack provide great cover for Israel.

[albiecoyote]

09:26 AM on 01/04/2011

Only if you are one-sided and not thinking.
Try on an unbiased look at the truth.

[Magic 62]

08:44 AM on 01/04/2011

It's hard to aim when you have a boot to your neck ;)

[albiecoyote]

09:20 AM on 01/04/2011

Oh please.....victimhood does not wash.

[Leo Bloom]

10:47 AM on 01/04/2011

Palestinain Arabs placed the Jordain and Egyptian boots on their necks with happy ejoicings.

[Kramerica-Industries]

08:16 AM on 01/04/2011

Interesting to hear the Palestinian officals being vocal about the British illegal occpuation of the Malvinas Islands.

[Cannonball Taffy O Jones]

09:09 AM on 01/04/2011

That would be the Falkland Islands old boy; the name issue was decided in 1982 when the British nicely evicted the Argentinean fascists from the place.  

[phute]

10:59 AM on 01/04/2011

The Tin Pot General was so beautifully complemented by the Iron Lady.
And nice is a pretty dumb way of describing a vicious conflict - Sir Galahad, Goose Green
and a massive news blackout?
Very smart 'balls.

[Nwo2012]

10:07 AM on 01/04/2011

It was worth the gambit, Kramer!

[WasteNJ]

08:11 AM on 01/04/2011

Are the operators in this picture actually Israeli? The helmets aren't typical Israeli issue (US PASGT). Also, interesting weapon choice, a 50 year old Kalishnikov SMG instead of the whiz-bang Israeli Tavor? I think I may have lost some people here... it's early.

[Json]

08:07 AM on 01/04/2011

It used to be that a story that painted Israel in a negative light became a 'bash israel' fest with a few thousand comments.
Now even on articles that are pretty non-controversial, it turns into a hate-fest.
This place is really getting ugly.

[Nwo2012]

08:23 AM on 01/04/2011

:'(

[Magic 62]

08:46 AM on 01/04/2011

Sign of things to come. Internet is killing Israeli PR.

[Nwo2012]

09:11 AM on 01/04/2011

"Our problem is PR"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9Sdkps0Quo

[Json]

09:17 AM on 01/04/2011

Things to come?
A little reminiscent of some things that have already happened

[Nwo2012]

07:03 AM on 01/04/2011

Mossad use government resources to break laws all over the world, commit acts of violence and carry out extra judicial murders.

What are the British guilty of? Hiring cleaners?

[Londoncall]

07:31 AM on 01/04/2011

Who have not been proven guilty of anything.

[JerryLevy]

08:44 AM on 01/04/2011

Your statement about Mossad's defense against international terror is baseless.

[Soma99]

07:48 AM on 01/04/2011

Are you talking about the time in the 80s when they apologized and said they would never do it again or the most recent time.

[phute]

11:02 AM on 01/04/2011

Well now - that's bright coming from someone whose name is straight out of failed central casting.

[lightningbolt]

02:35 PM on 01/04/2011

But, of course, you don't have any problem with the UK having relations with the thuggie regimes surrounding Israel, right?  Your focus is exclusively on Israel, most likely because you hate J e w s.

[Nwo2012]

05:27 PM on 01/04/2011

I see a trend developing with your posts......

[lenuk]

05:57 PM on 01/04/2011

"...most likely because you hate J e w s....".

Please .... not the old "you criticise Israel so you must be an anti-semite" slur again.

Criticism of the regime and its policies is not criticism of the people.

[Chazmania]

04:20 AM on 01/04/2011

ONE FACT that is always swept under the rug by the z!0n!sts is there own behavior..the reality of the criminal human right violations and the anti Palestinian bigotry is all but ignored..they know it, they do it, they are FULLY aware that the very actions they conduct prove them to be duplicitous and untrustworthy,And in all they say! yet they keep saying it..we are all getting Israeli fatigue..you know?Its like what happens when an obvious liar is around at a party we all kinda drift outside! then we have to hear how the world h8ts them and its why they are justified in atr0c!ty.. the victim card played and played again and again and all the wile the behavior gains more h8t, the lies about the behavior gains more h8t then its this directed at them h8t that they use to justify more violence.

[runforfun54]

06:05 AM on 01/04/2011

Get a grip

[JerryLevy]

08:47 AM on 01/04/2011

Dude: when you enter the hate zone, you lose all ability to think rationally

[magedfoxx]

12:40 PM on 01/04/2011

that is what happens when someone is provoke,,,,,