Israeli peace activist: Hamas leader Jabari killed amid talks on long-term truceGershon Baskin, who helped mediate betweenIsrael and Hamas in the deal to release Gilad Shalit, says Israel made amistake that will cost the lives of 'innocent people on both sides.'ByNir HassonNov.15, 20121:55 PMByHaaretzHours before Hamas strongman Ahmed Jabari was assassinated, he receivedthe draft of a permanent truce agreement with Israel, which includedmechanisms for maintaining the cease-fire in the case of a flare-upbetween Israel and the factions in the Gaza Strip. This, according toIsraeli peace activist Gershon Baskin, who helped mediate between Israeland Hamas in the deal to release Gilad Shalit and has since thenmaintained a relationship with Hamas leaders.Baskin told Haaretz on Thursday that senior officials in Israel knewabout his contacts with Hamas and Egyptian intelligence aimed atformulating the permanent truce, but nevertheless approved theassassination.“I think that they have made a strategic mistake," Baskin said, anerror "which will cost the lives of quite a number of innocent people onboth sides.""This blood could have been spared. Those who made the decision must bejudged by the voters, but to my regret they will get more votes becauseof this,” he added.Baskin made Jabari’s acquaintance when he served as a mediator betweenDavid Meidin, Israel’s representative to the Shalit negotiations, andJabari. “Jabari was the all-powerful man in charge. He always receivedthe messages via a third party, Razi Hamad of Hamas, who called himMister J.”For months, Baskin sent daily messages in advance of the formulation ofthe deal. He kept the channel of communication with Gaza open evenafter the Shalit deal was completed.According to Baskin, during the past two years Jabari internalized therealization that the rounds of hostilities with Israel were beneficialneither to Hamas nor to the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip and onlycaused suffering, and several times he acted to prevent firing by Hamasinto Israel.He said that even when Hamas was pulled into participating in thelaunching of rockets, its rockets would always land in open spaces. “Andthat was intentional,” clarified Baskin.In recent months Baskin was continuously in touch with Hamas officialsand with Egyptian intelligence as well as with officials in Israel,whose names he refused to divulge. A few months ago Baskin showedDefense Minister Ehud Barak a draft of the agreement and on the basis ofthat draft an inter-ministry committee on the issue was established.The agreement was to have constituted a basis for a permanent trucebetween Israel and Hamas, which would prevent the repeated rounds ofshooting.“In Israel,” Baskin said, “they decided not to decide, and in recentmonths I took the initiative to push it again.” In recent weeks herenewed contact with Hamas and with Egypt and just this week he was inEgypt and met with top people in the intelligence system and with aHamas representative. He says he formed the impression that the pressurethe Egyptians applied to the Palestinians to stop shooting was seriousand sincere.“He was in line to die, not an angel and not a righteous man of peace,”Baskin said of Jabari and of his feelings in the wake of the killing,“but his assassination also killed the possibility of achieving a truceand also the Egyptian mediators’ ability to function. After theassassination I spoke to the people in Israel angrily and they said tome: We’ve heard you and we are calling to ask if you have heard anythingform the Egyptians or from Gaza.”Since the assassination, Baskin has been in touch with the Egyptiansbut not with the Palestinians. According to him, the Egyptians are verycool-headed. They said it is necessary to let the fresh blood calm down."The Egyptian intelligence people are doing what they are doing withthe permission and authorization of the regime and apparently they verymuch believe in this work,” he says.“I am mainly sad. This is sad for me. I am seeing people getting killedand that is what is making me sad. I tell myself that with every personwho is killed we are engendering the next generation of haters andterrorists,” adds Baskin.