Israel to reopen Wellington embassy

Israel is to reopen its Wellington embassy in seven years after it was closed due to ministry budget cuts.

The Jewish Federation made the announcement on Tuesday, Jewish media reported.

A year after the embassy was shut, relations between Israel and New Zealand were badly damaged when two Mossad agents were arrested in New Zealand for passport fraud.

Since the departure of Ambassador Ruth Kahanov in October 2002, Israel's ambassador to Australia, based in Canberra, had been non-resident ambassador to New Zealand.

President of the New Zealand Jewish Council David Zwartz was appointed honorary Israeli consul in the interim but stepped down last year.

- NZPA