BICOM

Ilan Grapel, the Israeli and US citizen who was jailed in Egypt in June on suspicion of espionage, was released from captivity yesterday. Grapel was released in return for the freeing of 25 Egyptians held in Israel on criminal charges. Senior prime ministerial adviser Yitzhak Molcho and Kadima MK and former senior Shin Bet official Yitzhak Hasson accompanied Grapel back to Israel. He was met by his mother, US Congressman Gary Ackerman and US ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro at the airport. From the airport, Grapel was taken to a short meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu, speaking after the meeting, thanked the governments of Egypt and the United States for bringing about the release.

Later, Grapel took part in a press conference, together with his parents, at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem. He stressed in his remarks that the Egyptian authorities had treated him well and with respect. A number of Egyptian websites have reported that the Grapel release may also pave the way for the freeing of Ouda Tarabin, an Israeli Beduin who is currently serving a 15-year sentence in an Egyptian jail after being convicted on espionage charges in 2000. The Palestinian Ma’an news agency, meanwhile, reported claims that the US has agreed to sell a number of F-16 fighter aircraft to Egypt as part of the release deal.  The US State Department has denied the claim within Ma’an report.