New Zealand and Israel have begun negotiations on resuming diplomatic relations following a spy scandal last year in which two Israeli agents tried to obtain false New Zealand passports, Foreign Minister Phil Goff said on Saturday. But he insisted that New Zealand wanted a formal apology for sending the two suspected Mossad secret service agents to get the passports, presumably as cover for their international spying activities. The pair, Eli Cara and Urie Kelman, spent three months of a six month sentence in jail after stealing the identity of a crippled man to obtain a New Zealand passport. They have since been deported and have recently dropped appeals against their convictions apparently designed to give them a clean record to facilitate further international travel. Goff told Radio New ZealandIsrael had made approaches to the New Zealand government and diplomats were working on the wording of a statement that would restore ties but no deadline had been set. --More 2354 Local Time 2054 GMT
