this episode Originally aired on Thursday, September 5, 2024
Gershon BaskinAs an Israeli hostage negotiator, he knows what it takes to make a deal with Hamas. He began contacting high-ranking Hamas official Ghazi Hamid in 2006, and the relationship laid the groundwork for a deal to release Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2011.
“I was dedicated to freeing Gilad Shalit,” says Baskin. michael safi. “That was my mission. That was my job. I'm going to talk to the devil if I have to to bring Gilad Shalit home alive. I didn't stop to think about their desire to kill everyone, including.''
After the agreement, Mr. Baskin continued to communicate with Mr. Hamid, hoping that the connection would eventually lead to peace. “I knew from the beginning that our success would be based on the personal relationships we built. So over the years I've spent a lot of time thinking about my family, my dreams and hopes. , I started talking about my childhood.”
After the October 7 attack, Hamid was interviewed on Lebanese television. “We have to teach Israel a lesson. We will do this again and again,” he said.
“It was pretty devastating,” Baskin says. “At that point I wrote him a letter and said I never wanted to speak to him again.
“But a month later, a good Palestinian friend of mine said, 'Gershon, you made a mistake, because contact with Ghazi Hamid might save your life.' I wrote him again and said, “Gazi, if talking to you can save a life, I would be happy to renew our connection.'' He contacted me three weeks later, and I've been doing it ever since. We're in touch. ”
