Ireland delays EU deal with Israel on data transfers

Ireland delays EU deal with Israel on data transfers

www.bbc.co.uk

Irish objections have delayed an EU deal to allow the transfer to Israel of personal data on EU citizens.

The Republic of Ireland linked its move to its concerns about the use of forged Irish passports in the killing of a top Hamas militant in Dubai in January - allegedly by Israeli agents.

A European Commission official told the BBC that objections to the proposed data deal had only come from Ireland.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Ireland is the only country in the EU to object to this EU data transfer to Israel. Irish government officials have objected to the deal because of Israel's involvement in the assassination of a Hamas leader in January in Dubai, using 8 fake Irish passports in the operation. Israel has since denied accusations of being involved in the assassination.

The agreement "was due to go through on written notice, with no further discussion" before Ireland objected, Irish justice ministry spokesman Richard Moore told the BBC.

"This lit a red flag here. We objected, and that triggered a meeting of this data protection committee.

"We were going to vote 'no' if it went to a vote. We accepted we would probably be a lone voice."

Mahmoud al-Mabhouh was found dead in a hotel room in Dubai in January

Ireland was outraged that eight fake Irish passports were used by suspects in the killing of Hamas official Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in a Dubai hotel.

Forged British, French, Australian and German passports were also used in the operation.

Speaking on Irish radio RTE on Thursday, Irish Justice Minister Dermot Ahern said "the Israelis... can say they weren't responsible, but quite clearly agents on behalf of the Israeli state were involved".

Dubai police have said they are 99% sure Israeli agents were involved, though Israel says there is no proof.

www.bbc.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)
Irish Independent
Irish Times

[edit on 3-9-2010 by TheSam]

I want to know why Israel needs the data of EU citizens...help me out here...

I too want to know why anyone thinks it necessary to hand over data on EU citizens to Israel. Whatever the motive, it can't be good. The big story here, is why Israel even wants such data, not necessarily that Ireland is objecting to the deal because of the forged passports.

Israel would be the last country that I would think data on EU citizens would be safe. How scary is that? Also, I'm sure they already have the data on American citizens, apart from the consumer data of their corporations.


--airspoon



Edited to add:

Apparently, it's for international data protection standards, though I'm sure that Israel will use the "data" in nefarious ways.

[edit on 3-9-2010 by airspoon]

Originally posted by MemoryShock
I want to know why Israel needs the data of EU citizens...help me out here...

This was my first thought also, I'm not too sure of all the details on this but it seems it was going through quietly.

"The agreement "was due to go through on written notice, with no further discussion" before Ireland objected, Irish justice ministry spokesman Richard Moore told the BBC.

"This lit a red flag here. We objected, and that triggered a meeting of this data protection committee."

Ireland still has unresolved issues with Israel over the January killing so they used this as grounds for objection. He is right though, it does light a red flag. I haven't seen any details on this in the media and it was seemingly going to pass through quietly without a vote.

Originally posted by airspoon
Also, I'm sure they already have the data on American citizens, apart from the consumer data of their corporations.

They do...I forget where I saw the link...

It's not national boundaries anymore...it's corporate.

Most of the issues I see nowadays are obligatory...but I am pleased as hell that the Irish are standing up...

Originally posted by MemoryShock
Most of the issues I see nowadays are obligatory...but I am pleased as hell that the Irish are standing up...

Indeed! If I were Ireland, I would not agree to this under any terms... just keep blocking it in the EU if possible.

IRM

I added 2 Irish sources to the OP, which give more detailed accounts than BBC's story.

Seeing as Ireland are the only objecting member state, it's probably going to pass on a majority vote.

No single state has a veto on the initiative, as such questions are decided on the basis of a qualified majority vote. This means the initiative is likely to proceed.

Here's a bit more information on the objection of the deal

Mr Ahern sought in July to block the European Commission initiative by terminating a written procedure under which member states were asked to approve a declaration that the EU recognises Israeli data protection standards as sufficient to allow member states to transfer data there.

The Government believes data used in the forged documents was gleaned from the official inspection of travellers’ passports. Israel has neither confirmed or denied involvement in the assassination.

“The Minister for Justice is highly concerned at the manner in which Irish passports have been copied and forged by agents acting on behalf of Israel,” said a spokesman for Mr Ahern.

“In light of that, a senior official from the Department of Justice will be demanding a full explanation on why Israel should be designated as an acceptable country for the transfer of personal data of EU citizens,” he continued.

I'd love to know more on what type of sensitive information on citizens is to be transferred. Names, addresses, phone numbers? SSN's? Earnings? Everything the government has on us? It's scary to think that all my personal information could be stored on a harddrive in Jerusalem.

reply to post by MemoryShock

I want to know why Israel needs the data of EU citizens...help me out here...

Who told you that Israel needs data of EU citizens?

EU seeks data compliance

The EU already has data adequacy agreements with several countries outside the EU, including Argentina, Canada, Switzerland and the US.

I want to know why EU needs the data of Israeli citizens....



[edit on 3-9-2010 by ZeroKnowledge]

Good for the Irish. After Mossad cloned Irish passports and used the identities of the legitimate holders (and by doing so, endangering the safety of those people) to assist in an assassination, they have every right to tell the Israelis to get stuffed.

I'm not too sure this is an israeli ploy to get the info of EU citizens.

However this is Ireland standing up against this measure, simply because it involves israel, nothing to do with trading information.

That should be applauded, because until more countries, businesses and PEOPLE start doing that, israel will continue to be an apartheid state.

reply to post by TheSam


growing more respect for the Irish goverment, as those here seem to be complete utter ****** and will sell us down the river in a hearts beat

bravo for the irish goverment in telling the israelis no

Seriously, if the hand over of data to Israel is SUCH a problem, then why is it ONLY the Irish who have objections? Any guesses, huh?

This is Anti Semitism plain and simple. Let's not forget that the IRA were armed and financed by Gadaffi & other middle eastern terror groups for many years & that the Catholic church which dominates Irish society hardly has a good record when it comes to persecuting Jews.

To deny this IT contract to Israel is a direct attack on Jewish business interests & Jewish livelihoods. Perhaps people here have forgotten that the last time a government acted in this way it was called KRISTALLNACHT.

[edit on 4-9-2010 by Lionel]

Originally posted by Lionel
This is Anti Semitism plain and simple.

yeh, every time someone criticizes israel or its goverments doings we get 'anti semitism!' bull#

reply to post by Lionel


anyone else not supprised at the anti semetic bomb shell being dropped?
yeap say anything against israel and your anti semetic,
boycott them your anti semetic, get a life

i assume when the Irish blocked sharing data with the yanks
they were anti christian and jewish and anti america at the same time?

Originally posted by Lionel
Seriously, if the hand over of data to Israel is SUCH a problem, then why is it ONLY the Irish who have objections? Any guesses, huh?

They're probably the one of the few with the balls to do it, plus they have reason.

Ireland are being given the runaround by Israel. In their assassination of a Hamas official in January, 8 fake Irish passports were used by Israeli agents in the murder (6 of the passport numbers matched real Irish passports)

Dubai police have said they are 99% sure Israeli agents were behind the attack. The Irish government had asked for an investigation into the matter but they just got the usual response from Israel - "we didn't do it, you can't prove it!" - no investigation.

Ireland are now presenting this case as grounds to object to the deal in the EU. The reasoning is simple & sound; how can the state of Israel be trusted to store data on EU citizens when their government authorized the forgeries of 8 Irish (EU) passports (as well as British(EU) & Australian too).

This is Anti Semitism plain and simple.

I'm really sick of this, every single thread which shows Israel's actions in a bad light is fanned by accusations of being anti-semitic, jew haters & nazi's. Cut the crap no one is being racist. Why is it not possible to have a constructive debate on Israel without being called a racist?

Let's not forget that the IRA were armed and financed by Gadaffi & other middle eastern terror groups for many years

Lol are you for real? The IRA are armed and funded by Middle Eastern terror groups? Right, care to elaborate on that one a bit more?

You'd swear the IRA was the official Irish army the way you describe it. They're a rebel terrorist group just so you know

& that the Catholic church which dominates Irish society hardly has a good record when it comes to persecuting Jews.

All religions have had their silly religious wars through history over whose god is better (or who killed a prophet). I can't think of any incidents involving the Jewish since WWII.

I don't see how this implies Ireland persecuted Jews though? In fact, Ireland housed Jewish refugees during WWII, before Israel even existed. There is no anti-semitism on the hands of the Irish.

To deny this IT contract to Israel is a direct attack on Jewish business interests & Jewish livelihoods. Perhaps people here have forgotten that the last time a government acted in this way it was called KRISTALLNACHT.

What does giving Israel sensitive information on EU citizens have to do with Jewish business interests or livelihoods? And how, in any way, does it relate to a Nazi movement?

[edit on 5-9-2010 by TheSam]

reply to post by Lionel


Perhaps the Irish Government take their responsibility for the protection of it's Citizens seriously. Perhaps they decided that this safety was not by served by an Israeli hit squad cloning the passports of some of their Citizens, effectively stealing their identities, in order to murder some one in a third country.