There are, as David Miliband has said, ‘compelling reasons‘ to conclude that Israel chose to ‘clone’ the passports of British citizens, having previously promised not to do so again.
It may seem like a little point to some. However, it is not.
A passport is a document with both legal and symbolic importance. Its forgery is a crime. To forge the passport of a friend and ally is a grave matter. To counterfeit a passport deserves a proportionate response. We would have done precisely the same thing, irrespective of the state involved.
I expect that Israel will apologise in due course, and the impact of these events will diminish, with time. However, at this moment, it is hard to see how this government had any option other than to expel a diplomat.
As Lady Gaga and Beyoncé put it:
“Trust is like a mirror. You can fix it if it’s broke. But you can still see the crack in that motherf*cker’s reflection”
