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Egypt Frees Israeli Spy in Prisoner Swap
EILAT, Israel - Egypt freed an Israeli Arab man convicted of spying in exchange for Israel's release of six Egyptian students Sunday, a swap that signaled a warming of relations that had been severely strained by the four-year-old Palestinian uprising.
Israel may also release Palestinian prisoners in the future, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites) said.
Egypt released Azzam Azzam, who was sentenced in 1997 to 15 years in prison after an Egyptian court convicted him of espionage. At the time, Azzam ran a textile factory in Egypt, and Israel has denied he was an agent.
The case against Azzam was based, in part, on a pair of women's undergarments soaked in invisible ink allegedly found in Azzam's suitcase. Egyptian officials accused him of giving the undergarments to an Egyptian accomplice, who used the invisible ink to pass Israel information on Egyptian factories.
Israel, in turn, released six Egyptian students who had sneaked into the country in August and were arrested on suspicion they tried to kidnap Israeli soldiers and commandeer a tank.
Azzam's imprisonment has been a key point of friction between Israel and Egypt, whose ties remain cool despite their 1979 peace treaty, and the students' arrest had angered many in Egypt. But Israel's relations with the Palestinians and with Egypt have been steadily improving since the death last month of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat (news - web sites).
The transfer took place at the Taba crossing between Israel and Egypt. After Azzam crossed into Israel in a van, he was taken to a nearby airport at the Red Sea resort of Eilat. Israeli security officials who accompanied Azzam said he cried and flashed a victory sign as he emerged from the van.
Several hours later, he boarded a small military aircraft, smiling and waving before takeoff.
Asked whether he had expected he would win early release, he said: "I always believed, because I am an Israeli citizen. I believed, because the state of Israel takes care of its citizens." Asked how he was, he said, "Very good. Thank you, thank you."
Azzam,, 42, briefly spoke to his wife Amal, as well as to Sharon, from Eilat. "Azzam, I can't believe it's you," his wife told him, looking faint and emotional as the family cheered in the background.
Sharon told Azzam he had worked hard for his release and that "the entire country is united in happiness over your return home."
Egypt's semi-official Middle East News Agency reported that Azzam was released for his "good behavior and discipline," quoting an unidentified political analyst.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20041205/ap_on_re_mi_ea/egypt_israel_spy
Egypt released Azzam Azzam, who was sentenced in 1997 to 15 years in prison after an Egyptian court convicted him of espionage. At the time, Azzam ran a textile factory in Egypt, and Israel has denied he was an agent.
The case against Azzam was based, in part, on a pair of women's undergarments soaked in invisible ink allegedly found in Azzam's suitcase. Egyptian officials accused him of giving the undergarments to an Egyptian accomplice, who used the invisible ink to pass Israel information on Egyptian factories.
Israel, in turn, released six Egyptian students who had sneaked into the country in August and were arrested on suspicion they tried to kidnap Israeli soldiers and commandeer a tank.
Azzam's imprisonment has been a key point of friction between Israel and Egypt, whose ties remain cool despite their 1979 peace treaty, and the students' arrest had angered many in Egypt. But Israel's relations with the Palestinians and with Egypt have been steadily improving since the death last month of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat (news - web sites).
The transfer took place at the Taba crossing between Israel and Egypt. After Azzam crossed into Israel in a van, he was taken to a nearby airport at the Red Sea resort of Eilat. Israeli security officials who accompanied Azzam said he cried and flashed a victory sign as he emerged from the van.
Several hours later, he boarded a small military aircraft, smiling and waving before takeoff.
Asked whether he had expected he would win early release, he said: "I always believed, because I am an Israeli citizen. I believed, because the state of Israel takes care of its citizens." Asked how he was, he said, "Very good. Thank you, thank you."
Azzam,, 42, briefly spoke to his wife Amal, as well as to Sharon, from Eilat. "Azzam, I can't believe it's you," his wife told him, looking faint and emotional as the family cheered in the background.
Sharon told Azzam he had worked hard for his release and that "the entire country is united in happiness over your return home."
Egypt's semi-official Middle East News Agency reported that Azzam was released for his "good behavior and discipline," quoting an unidentified political analyst.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20041205/ap_on_re_mi_ea/egypt_israel_spy
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The party began almost immediately, well before his expected arrival Sunday evening. Female relatives passed around a giant tray of traditional Arab sweets, set up a sound system and began dancing, while the men cut down a fence and trees in the yard to build a stage where singers were to perform upon Azzam's arrival.
Some cheered and wept with relief. At least one family member pulled out a rifle and shot into the air in joy.
"This is a celebration for all of Israel," Azzam's brother Fandi said.
"This is a surprise. Only this morning we found out they were going to do this trade," said Iftan Azzam, another of the businessman's brothers.
Azzam was expected to undergo a medical check before returning home. A father of four, he was was the director of a textile factory under joint Israeli-Egyptian ownership when he was arrested in November 1996. An Egyptian teacher convicted as his accomplice was jailed for life with hard labor.
Sharon said in a statement Sunday that he was considering releasing an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners as part of the swap with Egypt. More than 7,000 Palestinians are being held by Israel.
The swap came several days after Egypt's foreign minister and intelligence chief met with Sharon in Jerusalem. Earlier this week, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (news - web sites) praised Sharon, saying Palestinians should be able to strike a peace deal with the Israeli leader.