Torah Synchronicity : Alleged Israeli/Mossad Spy? Sin of the Spies?

[muman613]

It occurred to me that once again a sign is being sent from Hashem that the Torah is always relevant in our lives. So many times I see parallels between the news of the day and the Torah portion. In this last Shabbat Torah reading we learn of the scouts who were sent into the land of Canaan in order to do reconnaissance for the people of Israel. They make a very wrong mistake for which the Jewish people still suffer for till today.

Egypt has accused an Israeli young man of being a spy for Mossad... I think the Egyptians are nuts because it is doubtful that this guy would work for Mossad.


http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gwI8vXKWW3o_gvVYgYZakcAhD-6w?docId=f340f5e7597a4655ac0ff56f744a25dc

Egyptian authorities detain alleged Israeli spy

By by SARAH EL DEEB, Associated Press – 6 days ago

CAIRO (AP) — Egyptian authorities have detained an alleged Israeli agent and are interrogating him on suspicion of spying and trying to influence protesters during the popular uprising that toppled President Hosni Mubarak, a court official and the prosecution spokesman said Sunday.

The prosecution spokesman Adel el-Said said the suspect was arrested Sunday and is interrogated by the state security prosecution. El-Said said the suspect was ordered detained for 15 days for investigation.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said he was "totally unfamiliar" with the report.

This was not the first time Egyptian authorities arrest a foreigner on suspicion of spying in the post-Mubarak era, but it was the first reported arrest of an alleged Israeli agent. Last month, Egyptian authorities arrested an Iranian diplomat on suspicion of spying during the popular uprising. The diplomat was later released and left Cairo. He enjoyed diplomatic immunity.

El-Said said the suspect was detained in a Cairo hotel. Intelligence reports showed the man was gathering information about the protests and fomented chaos with the intent "of harming political, economic and social interests and negatively impacting the course of the revolution," el-Said said, according to a statement published on the prosecution's official Facebook page.

The intelligence reports also said the suspect was an Israeli soldier who participated in the 2006 Lebanon war, where he was wounded, the prosecution statement said.

The court official said the alleged Israeli spy entered Egypt and posed as a foreign journalist shortly after the beginning of the protests on Jan. 25. The official was speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters.

He said the investigation showed the suspect spent most of his time in Tahrir square, the center of the uprising, and approached protesters. The official said prosecutors suspect he paid protesters to cause friction with the military and to foment Muslim-Christian tensions. Some protesters reported him to the Egyptian intelligence agency.

The official said the suspect was put under surveillance and was photographed in the low-income neighborhood of Imbaba, where Coptic Christians and Muslims, led by ultraconservative Salafi Muslims, clashed. Fifteen people were killed and a church was set on fire.

During the 18 days of protests that led to Mubarak's departure, activists who were detained by security said they were asked if they were trained by Israel or Iran. Since Mubarak's ouster, Egypt's military rulers have often warned against "foreign" attempts to destabilize the country.

Egypt was the first Arab state to sign a peace deal with Israel in 1979. During Mubarak's reign, the two governments coordinated security policies, but the overall atmosphere was cool.

Since a military council took over from Mubarak, there has been internal pressure to cancel or alter a contract under which Egypt sells natural gas to Israel. Critics charge the price is too low, and Mubarak cronies took bribes to seal the deal.

[muman613]

http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=225538

US Rep. Ackerman insists Grapel is no Israeli spy
By HILARY LEILA KRIEGER,  JPOST CORRESPONDENT
06/18/2011 19:55

Ackerman urging Egyptians to finish probe of alleged Mossad agent; dismisses claim that Grapel, who served as his intern in 2002, is a spy.
Talkbacks (11)
 
WASHINGTON – Congressman Gary Ackerman has appealed personally to Egyptian authorities in the case of Ilan Grapel, who once worked as his intern and is now being held for allegedly spying for the Mossad.

“I’m speaking with Egyptian officials on a regular basis,” the New York Democrat told The Jerusalem Post on Friday. “I got assurances from Israel that this kid is not their kid,” i.e. a Mossad agent.

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Instead, Ackerman said that Grapel was a full-time law student whose schedule he had verified with the Emory University authorities to prove that he couldn’t have been engaged in espionage for the Mossad.

Ackerman said he has also been in close touch with the US State Department, and that all parties involved were acting professionally and seriously in the case.

Grapel interned for Ackerman, whose office is near his home in Queens, in the summer of 2002.

A dual citizen of America and Israel, he later served in the IDF and was wounded in the second Lebanon War, an incident that was well publicized.

The congressman described his former intern as “very liberal” and someone who “wants to help people in Egypt.” He said he was in the country to help refugees from nearby African countries who had fled to Egypt.

“This is like no good deed goes unpunished,” he said. “He did some things that are frankly foolish... but a spy – give me a break!” Ackerman is urging the Egyptians to finish their investigation and procedures as quickly as possible so the case can be resolved and Grapel doesn’t become a political pawn.

“We’re working very hard. His parents love him very much and are very concerned,” he said.

“They and I want him back in Queens as quickly as possible.”

Despite the current situation, Ackerman said he remains hopeful about Grapel’s fate.

“I have to be optimistic because he’s not a spy. He’s not involved in espionage,” he said.

“He’s the most unlikely spy anybody could ever imagine.”

Efforts to secure the release of Grapel continued over the weekend, with the Egyptian press reporting the Israeli and Egyptian authorities have met to discuss the situation.

According to reports in the Egyptian daily Al-Ahram and in the Hebrew media, Israeli Ambassador Yitzhak Levanon met with the head of the Israeli desk in the Egyptian Foreign Ministry to try to get the young man freed.

Also on Friday, Al-Ahram reported that Grapel, a 27-yearold American-Israel arrested in Cairo on Sunday for allegedly working for the Mossad to penetrate Egyptian political parties and activist groups to gather intelligence and foment sectarian strife, was visited by a US consular official who said he was in “deep trouble.”

Ben Hartman contributed to this report. 

[cjd]

It's a sad situation and despite the spin Gary Ackerman is putting on the thing Grapel will be detained for some time to come... Part of me feels bad for this young man however another part of me is asking what in the world was he doing in a place like that... To be honest if I was an Egyptian official I would be suspicious of a guy like this also... What business did he have there in a hot spot of such political unrest? Ackerman paints a rosy picture of liberal causes aiding African refugees and such which only makes the picture harder to swallow... Liberals and their looney causes give me "agita" that no amount of Tums can ever help... The level of stupidity in this situation is really very high and I really don't believe he could have been working the government of Israel.... Honestly speaking it would be nice if Egypt let this kid come home to his family however I am not going to loose much sleep over his plight for now.