'I wanted to see combat as IDF soldier,' Israeli said arrested for espionage in Egypt told Haaretz in 2006
According to the Egyptian authorities, the man they arrested is Ilan Grapel. A person of the same name and personal history gave an interview to Haaretz after the Second Lebanon War.
By Haaretz Service Tags: IDF Middle East peace Egypt Arab Spring Israel spyThe Jewish American citizen arrested in Egypt for suspected espionage is Ilan Grapel, Egyptian media reported Monday. A man of the same name and personal history was interviewed by Haaretz in 2006, after being injured in the Second Lebanon War.
In that interview, 23-year-old Grapel spoke of his decision to immigrate to Israel three years before the war. He studied in Ben Gurion University in Be'er Sheva for one academic year, and during that time he decided to enlist in the Israel Defense Forces.
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Ilan Grapel in Tahrir Square in May 2011, in a photograph posted on his Facebook account. |
"I was drafted in March 2005," Grapel said in the interview while lying in the orthopedic ward of Rambam hospital. He said that he decided to aim for the most combat-oriented unit possible, but despite passing the tests for Sayeret Matkal (the general staff’s elite special-operations force) he was disqualified for his poor Hebrew level. Eventually he enlisted in the paratroopers unit.
The Egyptian authorities announced Sunday that they have arrested suspected spy for Israel. The online Egyptian newspaper "The Seventh Day" posted a few photographs of Grapel, apparently from his own personal camera, in which he is seen in IDF uniform. In the other photographs he is pictured carrying a banner in Tahrir Square, the heart of the Egyptian protest movement that toppled Hosni Mubarak, as well as snapped visiting a mosque and the pyramids.
According to the Egyptian authorities' statement, released to the press Sunday afternoon, Grapel was arrested in a hotel in central Cairo. It said the intelligence services have been conducting a clandestine investigation and passed their findings to the attorney general's office. The authorities went on to claim that Grapel had a number of assignments in Egypt, including collecting intelligence during the revolution.
The authorities claim that Grapel attended the major protests and incited demonstrators to violence, in order to provoke a confrontation with the Egyptian military "and spread chaos in the Egyptian public and harm the state's political, economic and social interests." They also stated that Grapel was a soldier in the Lebanon war and was wounded in battle.
The attorney's general's office ordered Grapel's arrest for 15 days in order to continue investigating him. Once the investigation is complete, its details are expected to be made public.
Foreign Ministry officials in Jerusalem said Monday that the Egyptian authorities did not report an arrest of an Israeli citizen to the Israeli authorities, and no family member has contacted the ministry's special situation room.
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You're a true hero my friend.
You're a true hero my friend.
Bill Clinton pledged his willingness to die for Israel. "The Israelis know that if the Iraqi or Iranian army came across the Jordan River, I would personally grab a rifle, get in a ditch and die." President Obama must pledge his alligience to Israel and remove the shadow of doubt surrounding his willingness to die defending Israel. All Americans stand united with firsters and long only to serve our unshakeable ally any way we can. As a great American conservative once said "Extremism in the defense of Israel is no vice".
No free lunch in today's world.
This story smells of some people in Egypt concocting a story to 'smear' Israel again, using this young 'fool' who 'glorifies' war no different from the Islamic jihadist wanabees..
He taught egyptians about democratic principles. I don't see any problem here.
In different circumstances I would attack the Mossad and its savage agents but in this instance I believe this spy is nothing but a banana. I say to the Egyptian Miltary Council send him back home to have a hug from his mum.
Having little functioning intelligence is a virtue in the USA, it is not in much of the world. Like Representative Wiener, this guy has no appreciation of the danger of the digital age, nor the power of self-restraint in serious situations. This tempest in a tea-pot will probably end in 15 days with a fool being able to tell another grand tale about time served after arrest as a possible spy. Which is probably all he will learn.
Disgusting. I hope he's released soon, least Egypt suffers more from lack of tourism and a hit in relationship with Israel.
When hezbollah first sent him packing back whimpering to Israel he should have gave up on trying to hurt Israels neighbors, instead he allows the Mossad to recruit him hoping that if he gets caught his American passport will help. In my opinion a person who serves a foreign army without first serving in our own armed services should forfeit their citizenship.
After reading your non-stop postings on the board, both you and I have rightfully concluded that, yes, there definitely is the mind of a half-wit involved
thats the reason the world cant trust israel.
or appear to everyone on this board that you're a fool.
Oops, I just realized that won't work. Lucas left Israel 2 days after he was arrested for inciting to riot. I'm trying to figure out which of the two is a bigger moron.
Are they thrill seekers somewhat twisted in mind or ideological-religious driven holy warriors? Is it good for one's identity? Does one grow as a person after experiencing combat? Is it educational and meaningfull to experience? Anyway, from immigrant to soldier to agitator to spy is the Egyptian story. Hope he is back home soon, for 'incitement to violence and collecting intelligence at Tahrir square during the revolution' is just too stupid an accusation to have any credibility at all. Unless concrete and more serious evidence emerges of course, which I doubt.
There are many (usually ex-soldiers) who seek to fight in battles/wars for the sake of, fighting in battles/wars...
He simply wanted to serve and defend Israel, something many people from abroad do. Something haters will never understand.
Why do people want to see combat? 1. Because they have never seen combat. 2. Because they are not intelligent enough to see past the propaganda. 3. Because they have deep, dark doubts about their masculinity.
I am sure the truth will come out soon, unless Israeli's mount a covert operation to free him from prison where he is being held. I would suggest that they refrain from such an operation now that Mubarak has been thrown out of office or they will ask the Americans ( because of his American citizenship) to pressure Egypt to release him.
Why is this a news headline?