Israeli peace activist Gershon Baskin and Hamas official Ghazi Hamad had a secret partnership for 17 years, communicating behind the scenes during the Middle East peace process. They were initially put in touch to help secure the release of an Israeli soldier in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Over the years, they maintained a secret backchannel to share frustrations and gain insight into each other's perspectives. However, their relationship was shattered after Hamad publicly called for future atrocities. Baskin realized he could no longer speak to him.