Stand for Israel

Ilan Grapel in Tahrir Square before his arrest

Ilan Grapel, dual Israeli-U.S. citizen who was arrested in Egypt this past June on trumped-up espionage charges, will be released from Egyptian prison pending the release of 25 Egyptian prisoners doing time in Israeli jails. The deal for Ilan’s release was supposedly hashed out in Egypt while Israeli authorities were there securing the release of Gilad Shalit.

Ilan was born and raised in New York and carries a dual American-Israeli citizenship. At the time of his arrest, he was in Egypt volunteering with a non-profit organization that helps African refugees.

The fact that Ilan had previously served in the Israeli Army and was seen taking pictures of the protests at Tahrir Square – which he posted on his Facebook account – aroused the suspicions which led to his arrest.

However, from the time of his detention until now, the Egyptian authorities have not produced one shred of evidence that proves Ilan’s guilt. Instead, they lowered the charges from espionage to incitement and demanded that Israel release Egyptian prisoners in exchange for Ilan.

Doesn’t Egypt’s behavior in this situation strike you as absurd?

First they picked a guy off the streets of Tahrir Square because he was taking pictures of the historic revolution going on all around him and because he was a former Israeli soldier. Then they charged him with espionage, which is a pretty devastating charge to make against a foreign national visiting your country.

Later, after holding him for months without any evidence and after receiving undisclosed assurances from U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who traveled to Egypt to work out Ilan’s release, they lowered the charges to incitement and agreed to let him go so long as Israel frees 25 Egyptian drug smugglers and gun dealers.

If this attitude is reflective of the new Egypt emerging from the revolution, then the Egyptian people who demonstrated for a free and just government are being duped. Egypt’s handling of Ilan Grapel’s release is nothing short of extortion.