Ilan Grapel affair
Encyclopedia
The Ilan Grapel affair was an alleged Israeli espionage incident in Egypt involving dual U.S.-Israeli citizen Ilan Grapel. On 12 June 2011, Egyptian authorities arrested Grapel on charges of fomenting unrest in Egypt as a Mossad agent in the wake of the 2011 Egyptian revolution
. While Israel and Grapel's friends and family firmly rejected the charges, the Egyptian government never provided evidence to support its claim and the arrest was widely ridiculed in Egypt itself.
On October 25, 2011, Israel and Egypt agreed on the release of Grapel in exchange for 25 Egyptian prisoners held in Israeli jails. The exchange was executed on October 27, 2011, bringing an end to Grapel's nearly five months of imprisonment on dubious charges.
to build a team that had been trying to gather information and data and to monitor the events of the 2011 Egyptian revolution
. The authorities also claimed that Grapel tried to incite violence amongst Egyptian protesters with the goal of sparking a face-off with the military and spread chaos in the Egypt.
Friends and family of Grapel as well as the Israeli government adamantly rejected the espionage charges against Grapel and denied he had any connections to the Mossad. At the time of his arrest, Grapel was a rising third-year student at the Emory University School of Law
. Grapel's friends and family said he went to Egypt for the summer to intern at Saint Andrew's Refugee Services, a non-government legal group that helps resettles refugees. They also say he has had a longtime interest in Islam and the Middle East, and learned to speak Arabic.
The Egyptian government never gave evidence to support its claims against Grapel, and even in Egypt, the arrest was widely ridiculed.
In early October 2011, with reports increasingly indicating that Grapel would be released shortly, a senior Egyptian official admitted that Grapel was not a spy according to the London-based newspaper al-Hayat. The source stated, "what Grapel did during the revolution did not amount to spying and by this logic he can be released in exchange for financial benefits."
in Baltimore, Maryland with a bachelor's degree
in international studies. He then moved to Israel and performed compulsory military service in Israel
. During his service he was wounded in the 2006 Lebanon War. Grapel later returned to U.S. for law school, enrolling in Emory University
in Atlanta, Georgia
. His mother, Irene, said her son "always wanted to do good for the world" and went to Egypt to perform legal aid as part of this commitment. She added, "Ilan is a young man who wanted to see all sides of every issue."
In the summer of 2002, Grapel interned in the Queens office of Democratic Congressman Gary Ackerman
, who has lobbied for his release.
on October 18, 2011 with the support of Egyptian mediators, Israel and Egypt came to an agreement on the release of Grapel in exchange for 25 Egyptian prisoners. On October 25, 2011, Israel's Security Cabinet
unanimously approved the prisoner swap, clearing the way for Grapel to be released to Israel on October 27. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
thanked the U.S. for helping achieving the Grapel deal. The Israeli government stated that none of the Egyptian prisoners to be released are "security prisoners."
On October 27, 2011, Egyptian authorities released Grapel and he arrived in Israel on a private jet. The same day, Israel sent the 25 Egyptian prisoners into Egypt through the Taba Border Crossing
.
.
Yaroslav Trofimov
of The Wall Street Journal
asserted that the arrest of Grapel and other Westerners in the aftermath of the 2011 Egyptian revolution was part of a "military-inspired xenophobia campaign" to distance Egypt's new military rulers from the West, "portraying pro-democracy activists as spies and saboteurs, blaming the country's economic crisis and sectarian strife on foreign infiltrators, and blasting the U.S. for funding agents of change." He wrote, "As a result, connections with the U.S. and other Western countries have turned toxic just as the largest Arab country is struggling with a rocky transition to democracy." The detention of Grapel served to aggravate U.S.-Egyptian relations.
Boaz Ganor
, founder and executive director of Israel's International Policy Institute for Counter-Terrorism
(ICT), said that it has always been dangerous for Israeli citizens to visit Arab countries but it is unlikely for Arab states to adopt the arrest of Israelis as a tactic to extort Israel. Ganor stated that "the Grapel affair was designed to satisfy the Egyptian masses, and was a stage-managed incident meant to use 'the traditional rival – Israel – to distract Egyptians from their real problems.'" Ely Karmon, a senior research at ICT added that Egypt "has a record of arresting innocent Israelis such as Azzam Azzam
and Ouda Tarabin
and framing them as spies to prove to its anti-Israel public it is looking after state security."
2011 Egyptian revolution
The 2011 Egyptian revolution took place following a popular uprising that began on Tuesday, 25 January 2011 and is still continuing as of November 2011. The uprising was mainly a campaign of non-violent civil resistance, which featured a series of demonstrations, marches, acts of civil...
. While Israel and Grapel's friends and family firmly rejected the charges, the Egyptian government never provided evidence to support its claim and the arrest was widely ridiculed in Egypt itself.
On October 25, 2011, Israel and Egypt agreed on the release of Grapel in exchange for 25 Egyptian prisoners held in Israeli jails. The exchange was executed on October 27, 2011, bringing an end to Grapel's nearly five months of imprisonment on dubious charges.
Arrest and charges
Ilan Grapel, a 27-year-old man with dual American and Israeli nationality, was arrested on 12 June 2011 by Egyptian authorities, who claimed that Grapel was sent to Egypt by MossadMossad
The Mossad , short for HaMossad leModi'in uleTafkidim Meyuchadim , is the national intelligence agency of Israel....
to build a team that had been trying to gather information and data and to monitor the events of the 2011 Egyptian revolution
2011 Egyptian revolution
The 2011 Egyptian revolution took place following a popular uprising that began on Tuesday, 25 January 2011 and is still continuing as of November 2011. The uprising was mainly a campaign of non-violent civil resistance, which featured a series of demonstrations, marches, acts of civil...
. The authorities also claimed that Grapel tried to incite violence amongst Egyptian protesters with the goal of sparking a face-off with the military and spread chaos in the Egypt.
Friends and family of Grapel as well as the Israeli government adamantly rejected the espionage charges against Grapel and denied he had any connections to the Mossad. At the time of his arrest, Grapel was a rising third-year student at the Emory University School of Law
Emory University School of Law
Emory University School of Law is a first-tier US law school that is part of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. It is ranked #30 among ABA-approved law schools by the 2012 U.S. News & World Report...
. Grapel's friends and family said he went to Egypt for the summer to intern at Saint Andrew's Refugee Services, a non-government legal group that helps resettles refugees. They also say he has had a longtime interest in Islam and the Middle East, and learned to speak Arabic.
The Egyptian government never gave evidence to support its claims against Grapel, and even in Egypt, the arrest was widely ridiculed.
In early October 2011, with reports increasingly indicating that Grapel would be released shortly, a senior Egyptian official admitted that Grapel was not a spy according to the London-based newspaper al-Hayat. The source stated, "what Grapel did during the revolution did not amount to spying and by this logic he can be released in exchange for financial benefits."
Biography
Ilan Grapel is a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, originally from Queens, New York. In 2005, Grapel graduated from Johns Hopkins UniversityJohns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
in Baltimore, Maryland with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in international studies. He then moved to Israel and performed compulsory military service in Israel
Conscription in Israel
The conscription in Israel for all Israeli citizens over the age of 18, although Arab citizens are exempted, and other exceptions may be made on religious, physical or psychological grounds...
. During his service he was wounded in the 2006 Lebanon War. Grapel later returned to U.S. for law school, enrolling in Emory University
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. His mother, Irene, said her son "always wanted to do good for the world" and went to Egypt to perform legal aid as part of this commitment. She added, "Ilan is a young man who wanted to see all sides of every issue."
In the summer of 2002, Grapel interned in the Queens office of Democratic Congressman Gary Ackerman
Gary Ackerman
Gary Leonard Ackerman is the U.S. Representative for , serving since a special election in 1983. He is a member of the Democratic Party...
, who has lobbied for his release.
Prisoner exchange deal
Following the successful execution of the first phase of the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchangeGilad Shalit prisoner exchange
The Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange followed an agreement between Israel and Hamas to release Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in exchange for 1,027 prisoners – mainly Palestinians and Arab-Israelis, though among the prisoners released there was also a Ukrainian prisoner, a Jordanian prisoner, and a...
on October 18, 2011 with the support of Egyptian mediators, Israel and Egypt came to an agreement on the release of Grapel in exchange for 25 Egyptian prisoners. On October 25, 2011, Israel's Security Cabinet
Security Cabinet of Israel
The Political-Security Cabinet or The Ministers Committee on Security Affairs is a narrow forum of 'Inner Cabinet' within the Israeli Cabinet, headed by the Prime Minister of Israel, with the purpose of outlining a foreign and defense policy and implementing it...
unanimously approved the prisoner swap, clearing the way for Grapel to be released to Israel on October 27. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu is the current Prime Minister of Israel. He serves also as the Chairman of the Likud Party, as a Knesset member, as the Health Minister of Israel, as the Pensioner Affairs Minister of Israel and as the Economic Strategy Minister of Israel.Netanyahu is the first and, to...
thanked the U.S. for helping achieving the Grapel deal. The Israeli government stated that none of the Egyptian prisoners to be released are "security prisoners."
On October 27, 2011, Egyptian authorities released Grapel and he arrived in Israel on a private jet. The same day, Israel sent the 25 Egyptian prisoners into Egypt through the Taba Border Crossing
Taba Border Crossing
The Taba Border Crossing is an international border crossing between Taba, Egypt, and Eilat, Israel. Opened on April 26, 1982 it is currently the only entry/exit point between the two countries that handles tourists...
.
Implications
The arrest of Grapel sparked fears in Israel that relations with Egypt would sour after the fall of long-time Egyptian ruler Hosni MubarakHosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
.
Yaroslav Trofimov
Yaroslav Trofimov
Yaroslav Trofimov is an award-winning author and journalist. He has been a foreign correspondent for The Wall Street Journal since 1999, covering the Middle East, Africa and, recently South and Southeast Asia...
of The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
asserted that the arrest of Grapel and other Westerners in the aftermath of the 2011 Egyptian revolution was part of a "military-inspired xenophobia campaign" to distance Egypt's new military rulers from the West, "portraying pro-democracy activists as spies and saboteurs, blaming the country's economic crisis and sectarian strife on foreign infiltrators, and blasting the U.S. for funding agents of change." He wrote, "As a result, connections with the U.S. and other Western countries have turned toxic just as the largest Arab country is struggling with a rocky transition to democracy." The detention of Grapel served to aggravate U.S.-Egyptian relations.
Boaz Ganor
Boaz Ganor
Dr. Boaz Ganor is the deputy dean of the Lauder School of Government and Diplomacy at the Interdisciplinary Center. He is also the founder and the Executive Director of the International Policy Institute for Counter-Terrorism...
, founder and executive director of Israel's International Policy Institute for Counter-Terrorism
International Policy Institute for Counter-Terrorism
The International Institute for Counter-Terrorism is a non-profit organization located at the Interdisciplinary Center , Herzliya, Israel. The ICT was founded in 1996 and describes itself as "the leading academic institute for counter-terrorism in the world, facilitating international cooperation...
(ICT), said that it has always been dangerous for Israeli citizens to visit Arab countries but it is unlikely for Arab states to adopt the arrest of Israelis as a tactic to extort Israel. Ganor stated that "the Grapel affair was designed to satisfy the Egyptian masses, and was a stage-managed incident meant to use 'the traditional rival – Israel – to distract Egyptians from their real problems.'" Ely Karmon, a senior research at ICT added that Egypt "has a record of arresting innocent Israelis such as Azzam Azzam
Azzam Azzam
Azzam Azzam is an Israeli Druze who was convicted in Egypt of spying for Israel, and jailed for eight years. He maintained his innocence throughout the ordeal, and since, no credible evidence was presented at his trial, and no additional evidence was ever released.-Arrest and trial:Azzam is a...
and Ouda Tarabin
Ouda Tarabin
Ouda Tarabin is an Israeli Bedouin. On 2000, The Egyptians arrested 19 year old Israeli Ouda Tarabin after he illegally crossed the border from Israel...
and framing them as spies to prove to its anti-Israel public it is looking after state security."
External links
- Timeline of the Ilan Grapel affair