Former prime minister Malcolm Fraser has called on Kevin Rudd to follow Britain's lead and expel an Israeli diplomat over the use of forged Australian passports in the assassination of a Hamas leader.
The passports were among up to 25 foreign passports, including 12 forged British passports, used by the killers of Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai in January.
Mr Fraser said the actions of the British government showed that it believed Israel was behind the killing, although Israel has never confirmed or denied it.
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Mr Fraser said a British report into the episode made it clear that the quality of the forged passports was so good it could only have been conducted by a government agency.
"They were very clearly saying that government agency had to be Israeli," Mr Fraser told ABC Radio.
"I think we can take that that applies also to the Australian government.
"The protection of the rights and identities of Australians overseas is one of the primary responsibilities of the Australian government.
"I believe that is totally and absolutely unforgivable and Australia's disapproval should be registered by an action not less than that which the British took."
Mr Fraser says there has been a long history of double standards when dealing with Israel.
"People will not do in relation to Israel what they would do if the same action was conducted by some other country," he said.
"In recent times I believe Israel has taken the peace process in the Middle East so far backwards that countries ought to show their disapproval and ought to show their approval for the American administration which is trying to get the peace process moved forward."
