An Israeli Arab imprisoned by Egypt for eight years has been freed: Azzam Azzam freed in prisoner swap with Egypt.

Azzam Azzam, an Israeli Druse Arab jailed since 1996 for allegedly spying on Egyptian, crossed the Egyptian border into Israel Sunday morning. Six Egyptian nationals, held by Israel for conspiring to carry out terror attacks, were allowed by Israeli authorities to cross back into Egypt. In a phone call to his family, Azzam said he felt “born again.”

As part of the deal, Israel may also release Palestinian prisoners in the future, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said in a statement.

The businessman, Azzam Azzam, was convicted of espionage by an Egyptian court in 1997 and sentenced to 15 years in prison. At the time, he ran a textile factory in Egypt. The case against Azzam was based, in part, on allegations that he had invisible ink in his possession. Israel has denied Azzam was an agent.

Azzam’s imprisonment has been a key point of friction between Israel and Egypt, whose ties remain cool despite their 1979 peace treaty.

After Azzam’s release, Sharon called Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to thank him. The two leaders pledged to work closely together, according to a statement by Sharon’s office. “The prime minister … said he believes the two (leaders) can achieve great things for the coming generations” and that Mubarak agreed, the statement said.