Israel Matzav: German intermediary favors Hamas?

German intermediary favors Hamas?

Fox News suggests that the German mediator acting as a go-between for Hamas and the Israeli government favors the 'Palestinian' terror organization, and that may have something to do with Prime Minister Netanyahu's hesitancy to endorse the deal.

Fox News has learned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been reluctant to sign-off on an agreement presented three weeks ago, to secure the release of kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

Netanyahu's seven senior cabinet members are divided over the proposed deal.

Among the reservations that were raised: What would an agreement like this mean for Israel, a country constantly in a state war? By releasing a thousand prisoners for one soldier, it's uncertain what the future consequences might be if Israel finds itself in a similar situation.

An Israeli source familiar with the negotiations also suggests,

"Israel is being played by the German mediator," the source said. "And he (German mediator) seems to be more favorable to Hamas possibly because of the German government's economic ties with Iran, known to be Hamas's financial and ideological backer."

JPost's Benjamin Weinthal suggests that the mediator is none other than Mr. Hezbullah.

Pro-Israel critics in Germany have long characterized Conrad's mediation track record as dubious, largely because he has won significant concessions from the Israeli government in exchange for paltry gains from Hizbullah in Lebanon. Within the BND, Germany's foreign intelligence, he has been nicknamed "Mr. Hizbullah," a coinage intended to convey praise and respect.

The Fox report in no way surprised astute critics of German-Iranian relations. The question frequently surfaces whether the German Foreign Ministry hoodwinked the Israelis in order to advance its pro-Iranian business relations agenda. But the so-called German-Israeli "special relationship" seeks to settle disputes behind closed doors. That helps to explain the stunning Fox revelation as a possible turning point in German mediation efforts in the region.

German observers argue that last year's swap was a telling example of Conrad pushing the pro-Hizbullah agenda, in which he secured the release of five Palestinian terrorists including child-murderer Samir Kuntar for the bodies of IDF reservists Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser. A bitter aftertaste was evident among pro-Israel groups who viewed the German Foreign Ministry as celebrating a deal involving dead Jews while maintaining its "good relations" with anti-Semitic regimes such as Iran who seek the destruction of Israel.

The German journalist Alex Feurherdt, writing in the leftist monthly magazine Konkret, expects Conrad to earn the accolade of "Mr. Hamas" within the BND because of his efforts to bend over backwards to please the terror group.

Conrad (not his real name) has become a national hero in Germany, and because of that the Fox story was ignored there. If Israel believes that he favors Hamas and Hezbullah, I doubt we'll see him mediating again. But that would help to explain why the price for Shalit has never gone down.

Israel Matzav: German intermediary favors Hamas?