Former Danish editor admits spying for Israel: report
AFP
COPENGAGEN- A former Danish newspaper editor admitted Saturday he capitalised on his journalism credentials to spy for Israel for a decade in the 1960s, saying he felt an obligation as a Jew.
"I travelled in Africa under the cover of a journalist and I made my reports to the Israeli embassies," Herbert Pundik told the on-line daily Information.dk in an interview.
Now in his early 80s, Pundik, former editor-in-chief of the Politiken newspaper, has lived in Israel since 1954.
He said he felt he had "an obligation as a Jew" toward Israel.
He also insisted the information passed to Israeli authorities also be transmitted to the Danish authorities.
Pundik at the time was reporting both for the newspaper Information and for Danish public radio, according to Information.dk.
He reportedly quit his spying activities in early 1970 -- the year he became Politiken's editor-in-chief. He stepped down in 1993.
Pundik's old newspapers offered mixed reactions to the news.
"Working for intelligence services is totally incompatible with the profession of journalist," Information's editor-in-chief Palle Weis was quoted as saying.
But Politiken's chief editor, Toger Seidenfaden, was quoted as saying: "I can understand that Pundik, as an Israeli citizen, wanted to help the young and fragile state of Israel."
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He also insisted the information passed to Israeli authorities also be transmitted to the Danish authorities.
Pundik at the time was reporting both for the newspaper Information and for Danish public radio, according to Information.dk.
He reportedly quit his spying activities in early 1970 -- the year he became Politiken's editor-in-chief. He stepped down in 1993.
Pundik's old newspapers offered mixed reactions to the news.
"Working for intelligence services is totally incompatible with the profession of journalist," Information's editor-in-chief Palle Weis was quoted as saying.
But Politiken's chief editor, Toger Seidenfaden, was quoted as saying: "I can understand that Pundik, as an Israeli citizen, wanted to help the young and fragile state of Israel."
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