economics at the Islamic University of Gaza.

“It turned out,” wrote Baskin, “that Megdad, a Hamas member, travelled from Gaza to Cairo after hearing that Israelis would also be participating in the seminar. He wanted to meet someone like that, because up until that time, he had never spoken to anyone Jewish or Israeli.”

His acquaintance with Megdad later led him to meet Ghazi Hamad, who was then the spokesperson for Prime Minister Haniyeh, and then to a true friendship that brought about the establishment of a channel of communication of unprecedented importance between the parties.

The two set aside honor issues and got down to business, without mediators, without any third parties. It is important to recognize, however, that this channel would not have become active had Meidan not beenput in charge of the negotiations. Meidan accepted the challenge that Haggai Hadas and Ofer Dekel, his predecessors as mediators, had refused. According to Baskin, they constantly told him things along the lines of “Move out of the way, you’re only interfering.”

In the book, Baskin reveals his fascinating correspondence with Hamad over the years. Their exchanges not only related to the negotiations and Shalit’s release, but also understandings for cease-fires between the two sides. This was the case, for example, in the flare up of violence that began in summer 2011.

During what then appeared to be progress toward completing the Shalit deal, terrorists who had penetrated the border through Sinai reached Highway 12, which runs from Eilat to Mitzpe Ramon. They fired at an Egged bus and killed