BICOM

Three Israeli parliamentarians yesterday pressed Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman about claims by Australia’s ABC television that an Australian-born Israeli who worked for Israel’s Mossad spy agency died in a top security prison.  The three Knesset members, Ahmed Tibi, Zahava Gal-On and Dov Henin used their parliamentary immunity to raise the issue after the Israeli authorities had issued a gag order over the case.

ABC’s investigative news programme “Foreign Correspondent,” this week broadcast claims that Melbourne-born Ben Zygier, who emigrated to Israel in 2000, where he was known as Ben Alon, was jailed in early 2010 and apparently committed suicide the same year in the high-security Ayalon Prison near Tel Aviv. Known by prison authorities only as ‘Prisoner X,’ the ABC item claims that Zygier was held in total isolation and that he is thought to have been a Mossad spy who had committed treason. However, when the Israeli Ynet newsite reported on the existence of the anonymous prisoner in December 2010, a gag order was issued and the report removed. It is claimed that this week Israeli news editors were asked by government officials not to sidestep the gag order by reporting on the ABC item.

In the Knesset yesterday, Ta’al representative Ahmed Tibi asked Neeman for confirmation of the story, while Meretz leader Zahava Gal-On raised questions over the rule of law. Neeman responded, “I cannot answer these questions…because the matter does not fall under the authority of the justice minister. But there is no doubt that if true, the matter must be looked into.” The relevant government ministries are expected to investigate further, while this morning the District Court in Lod removed the gag order covering the case.