Latest on Mordechai Vanunu

The Israeli Embassy in London has just sent us the following press release. Yesterday we carried a report of the arrest of Mr Vanunu. It would appear that he is now back at home after being questioned by the authorities. Since Mr Vanunu's release, he has consistently violated the restrictions placed on him and authorised by the Supreme Court with the full knowledge of his hosts in St George's Cathedral. Due to these violations and with a search warrant approved by Israel's Attorney General, Israeli policemen yesterday entered the church to take Mr Vanunu for questioning. He was released a few hours later and is currently under house arrest until the Attorney General reaches a decision on his case. Due to the heightened security risk in Israel over the past four years, all Israeli policemen are mandated to carry personal weapons wherever they go. This is also the standard law in most Western countries. However, the moment it became clear that Mr Vanunu was prepared to cooperate with the police, the armed policemen left the compound. Civil liberties are vital in a democracy like Israel, but they do not give the individual the right to endanger the security of the nation. Similarly, every citizen living in a democratic state may express their grievances or opposition to the government, but only within the established borders of the law. Kind Regards Calev Bender Public Affairs Department