14.10.2011                      16.Tischrei. 5772                       Sukkot 2

Vermittlerrolle:

Germany played key role in the Schalit talks

Gerhard Konrad, who heads the foreign section of the intelligence service of BND, jump-started the Schalit mediation process in 2009.

While the diplomatic consensus, including Germany’s government, says Egypt played the critical role in mediating the agreement on Tuesday to secure Gilad Schalit’s release from Hamas captivity, a German intelligence officer helped lay the foundation for the deal.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu thanked German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday for her government’s “constant support,” likely a reference to her decision to assign intelligence officer Gerhard Konrad to negotiate for the tank gunner’s freedom….