Gov’t worried case will torpedo request for German missile ships.
By YAAKOV KATZ, BENJAMIN WEINTHALBrodsky 311(photo credit: Courtesy)
Israel is concerned that the extradition of an alleged Mossad agent from Poland to Germany could torpedo an Israeli request to receive missile ships from Berlin.On Monday, Uri Brodsky, an Israeli citizen and alleged Mossad agent, appeared before a Polish court that will decide whether to extradite him to Germany.RELATED:Agent's extradition supported by PolesPoland: Israeli 'spy' faces extraditionBrodsky is suspected of helping forge a German passport used by one member of a Mossad hit squad allegedly behind the January killing of Hamas leader Mahmoud al- Mabhouh in Dubai. Brodsky was detained in Poland last month on an arrest warrant issued by Germany.Brodsky entered Warsaw’s district court Monday wearing a dark blue rain jacket, with the hood pulled over his head. Escorted by anti-terror officers, Brodsky covered his face with his hands.A spokesman for the federal German prosecutor in Karlsruhe told The Jerusalem Post on Monday that his office had not received a decision from the Polish authorities about whether the suspected Israeli intelligence agent would be extradited.Court spokesman Wojciech Malek said it wasn’t clear if the court would rule on his possible extradition Monday or at a later date.According to the spokesman from the federal German prosecutor, there is a 40-day deadline to issue a decision following the arrest. However, the court could extend the deadline if new evidence were submitted.Israel had expected to hear from Germany in June whether it would be willing to provide two new Meko-class missile ships, as it did in 2006 when it sold Israel about $1 billion in military equipment so the Israel Navy could purchase two new submarines that are in the final stages of construction.“We had expected an answer from the Germans several weeks ago,” one official said.Israel’s concern centers on Germany’s insistence on extraditing Brodsky instead of ending the affair quietly without his arrest.
While the navy has yet to finalize its order, it is working on a concept under which the 2,000-ton ship it is interested in buying would be designed by the German company Blohm and Voss, which manufactures the Meko family of warships.The design would be similar to the existing Sa’ar 5-class ship but would be slightly larger, to enable it to carry the massive IAI-made Adir radar, capable of providing an extensive over-the-horizon radar view. Each ship is expected to cost around $300 million.The ship will be capable of carrying special forces and larger infantry units as well as midsize vehicles, alongside at least one helicopter. The ship will also be installed with the anti-ship Harpoon missile, as well as the Barak anti-missile defense system. AP contributed to this report.
