Shimon Z. Klein
I had just finished reading this remarkable book. I found the book quite fast-paced right from the beginning. The incredible motivation of the writer to achieve what he did despite the tremendous odds against him, not only from Hamas, but also the Mossad. He made it very clear from the outset that the Israeli security services were not interested in the connection that Baskin had with Hamas through Hamed Ghazi. It was David Meidan of the Mossad who was a great help in negotiations to free Gilead Shalit. The amount of time that Gershon had given to the freeing of Gilead Shalit was a test of his determination to the maximum.
There were many frustrating moments but the dedication that Gershon had deserves enormous credit. The amount of messages, emails, meetings as well as the apathy and avoidance of issues by the Israeli authorities is well illustrated. Certainly this project of freeing Gilad Shalit was mammoth. The book is an essential read for those interested in solving the Israel-Palestinian conflict and the human relationships as well as trust that Gershon Baskin managed to achieve during the 5 years of intensive negotiations he had is truly amazing.
The summing up of the negotiations in the epilogue as well as conclusions has an important lesson for all who desire peace in our area. This book is an excellent read and I recommend it very strongly.
