Israeli ambassador criticised after withdrawing from Oireachtas hearing

THE Israeli ambassador to Ireland has been heavily criticised after withdrawing from an Oireachtas committee hearing today into the flotilla raid in which nine people were killed.

It comes as a source at the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed the likely expulsion of an Israeli embassy official over the use of forged Irish passports in an assassination in Dubai.

The ambassador, Dr Zion Evrony, had agreed earlier this week to attend an emergency meeting of the cross-party Committee on Foreign Affairs to discuss the Israeli raid of the aid flotilla heading for Gaza.