Ackerman in Israel to Meet Grapel

While there are no set plans in Queens for welcoming Oakland Gardens native Ilan Grapel back from captivity in Egypt—according to a family spokesman—he has a welcome wagon to meet him in the Middle East.

The Jerusalem Post reported that his mother will meet him in Egypt. Meanwhile, Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-Bayside, has already arrived in Israel to escort the 27-year-old accused spy home.

The Oakland Gardens man was on the new Egyptian government for Israel. He arrived in Egypt in May to participate in the resettlement of African refugees, on a service trip organized by Emory University, where he was a second year law student. Previous to law school, he immigrated to Israel, joining the Israeli Defense Force as a paratrooper in the second Lebanon War in 2006.

Grapel had formerly , who is the Ranking Democrat in the House Subcommittee on the Middle East, and has high-ranking contacts in the region.

Ackerman’s office said the congressman personally intervened with the Egyptian Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, the Prime Minister of Israel and the U.S. State Department.

He is to be released as part of an Israeli-Egyptian prisoner exchange. Israel has reportedly already transferred most of the 25 Egyptian nationals who were formerly in Israeli custody.

 “For four long months, we worked tirelessly to win Ilan’s release, and at last this long and terrible ordeal that Ilan and his loved ones have been forced to endure is almost over,” said Ackerman. "I want to express my deep appreciation to the Egyptian Supreme Council of the Armed Forces as well as a number of very senior leaders in our government and in the Israeli government, all of whom we worked very closely with to keep this process moving steadily toward resolution, to keep Ilan's family fully-informed, and to maintain focus on the real goal of fixing the original mistake that put Ilan into Egyptian custody,” he added.

Ackerman expressed gratitude that Grapel is being treated well while in Egyptian custody. 

 “We cannot wait for Ilan to return home to Queens so that he and can finally wrap their arms around each other,” he added.