Egyptian papers: Grapel served in IDF special ops
Israeli questioned by prosecutor general as Egyptians start to doubt 'Austin Powers'-type spy
Local papers say Grapel was heavily secured and that diplomats from both Cairo and Jerusalem were present.
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Grapel, who served in the IDF Paratroopers 101st Battalion and was injured in the Second Lebanon War, continues to deny the allegations against him. But local papers Al-Wafd and Roz al-Yousef insist the battalion is a Mossad branch.
One report claims Grapel "belongs to Unit 101 – a special ops unit belonging to Israeli military intelligence". Another says the 101st Battalion is "a unit established by a Mossad man in order to carry out painful operations against enemy armies, which highlights Israel's attempts at creating conflict between the people and the military".
'He's a klutz, not a spy'
"Like other sensible Egyptians, I'm very skeptical about this story," Joseph Fahim, a journalist with the English language Daily News Egypt, told The Media Line.
"Everyone in Egypt is calling him 'the stupidest spy in the world.’ The whole thing sounds like it was taken from an Austin Powers movie," he was quoted as saying in an article dubbed, 'Egyptians doubt spy who loved me'.
Joshua Kahn, a good friend of Grapel's since the two met at Ben Gurion University in 2004, was also skeptical. "The idea of Ilan being a spy is the stupidest and most absurd thing I've ever heard," he told Ynet.
But Kahn mentioned that Grapel has always felt an affinity for Arab states. "Before enlisting to the paratroopers he thought of joining the Peace Corps and going to Jordan, but it didn't work out. He has a passion for Islam and likes to use his Arabic," said the 28-year old, who currently works as an envoy for the Jewish Agency in the US.
"But anyone who has ever met him knows he's the last person any spy agency would want to enlist. He stands out, talks all the time, argues, is indiscreet… He's a klutz, not a spy."
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