American Israeli to be Freed in Israel-Egypt Swap Deal

Tuesday, 25 October 2011

American Israeli to be Freed in Israel-Egypt Swap Deal

Egypt and the Zionist entity have reached a prisoner swap agreement that would free a man with ‘Israeli’ and U.S. citizenship whom Egypt suspected of being a spy.

According to the deal, the Zionist government agreed to free 25 Egyptian prisoners, including three minors; the second defeat for the Occupying Entity within one week.

A general in Egyptian intelligence, speaking on condition of anonymity, described 22 of the 25 to be released by the Zionist entity as "political prisoners." The exchange will take place within two days through the Taba border crossing. The three minors are between ages 12 and 14, he said.

The general also said the Israeli cabinet wanted to include another prisoner in the swap, but Egypt refused.

Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the United States was "hopeful" that Grapel would be released. Speaking to the media during a visit to Libya, she answered a question about reports that Grapel may be released, saying, "We see no basis for any legal action against him."

Adel Saeed, spokesman for Egypt's general prosecutor's office, said that on October 15, "Grapel's detention was extended for 15 days for further investigations." He is charged with espionage and incitement to burn government buildings, Saeed said.

Grapel is a former paratrooper in the IOF.

Grapel speaks Arabic, which he studied at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and he spent his junior year at Ben Gurion University in the Occupied Territories.

Saeed, the general prosecutor spokesman, said in June that Grapel had participated in the ‘Israeli’ July War 2006 against Lebanon and was relieved of field combat duties after being injured.
Investigators had been following his activities for months, Saeed said.

The Zionist government allegedly sent Grapel to Egypt after the January 25 revolution to take advantage of the security vacuum by recruiting others to provide the Israelis with military and political information, Saeed said.