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Jonathan Pollard
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P is for Pollard, not for pardon

From start to finish, Israel mishandled Pollard affair. It's time we acknowledge our mistakes, stop ask US to bail us out

With the appearance of FBI agent Ron Olive on television recently, I hope that the talk of a pardon for Jonathan Pollard will stop.

 

In addition to Israel, FBI agent Ron Olive said that Pollard passed on classified information to Australia and Pakistan. At that time, Pakistan was not considered a good friend of the United States. Pollard was also involved in illegal weapon sales to Taiwan, France, Kenya, Afghanistan, and Argentina. Afghanistan became the home of US Public Enemy Number One, Osama Bin Laden.

 

I consider myself an American/Israeli. I love both my countries equally. There is only one exception. When I hear discussion about a pardon for Jonathan Pollard, I am become so defensive that I instantly become only an American without a slash or a dash. My first thought is how dare outsiders tell America how to deal with her national security?

 

If this constant talk of a pardon for Pollard offends this American/Israeli, how do you think Americans with no loyalty to Israel feel? Israel, Israelis and the Jewish community are shooting themselves in the foot by constantly asking for a pardon of Pollard. We are putting an unnecessary strain on the Israel-US relationship.

 

America won't clean our mess

There is no question that Pollard paid a heavy price for his crime. If Israelis really believe that the Pollard was robbed of justice, then the buck should start with Rafi Eitan. But instead of ostracizing from Israeli society, we have elected Mr. Magoo to the Knesset at the age of 83. We can not expect America to tie itself in knots to clean up Rafi Eitan’s mess. He looks like a lovable grandfather but we all know his history.

 

After Prime Minister Ehud Olmert appointed Rafi Eitan a minister in his cabinet, how can he go with a straight face to President Bush and ask him for a pardon of Pollard? If Pollard was a priority to the state of Israel, Olmert should have refused to put Eitan in his cabinet on principle.

 

When the matter was brought to the attention of the Supreme Court, the most activist Supreme Court of any democracy in recent history refused comment. This was not a fine time for Chief Justice Dorit Beinisch to keep silent. If the state of Israel will not stand up for Pollard, why should Presidents Bush or Clinton?

 

Blame Barak

After Eitan, Israel has only former Prime Minister Ehud Barak to blame for Pollard continued imprisonment. Instead of Barak saying Pollard or nothing, he abused his “special relationship” with the United States to ask for the pardon of Marc Rich.

 

There is no question that Marc Rich has been generous to the State of Israel but he is not a citizen of Israel or even lives here. So why was Barak wasting a favor in the already tapped out Israel favor bank on Marc Rich?

Barak, intentionally or not, sent a strong signal to America that the State of Israel does not really care about Pollard. In fact, I am not sure that Israel intelligence really wants Pollard released.

 

All governments including Israel are rightly sensitive about spies amongst them. Even after his release from prison after serving 18 years of hard time, Israel is still treating Vanunu terribly. After all this time, it is unclear to me that Vanunu still possesses additional information which if released would be harmful to the State of Israel.

 

In science, six months let alone twenty years is a lifetime. When Vanunu’s sentence is compared to the average person convicted of murder in Israel, it was much more severe. So how do we have the chutzpah to complain to the United States about the treatment of Pollard?

 

Mercenary spy

Wearing just my American hat, I have to ask you why Pollard should be even be considered for a pardon in light of his actions. He made America less safe. I can not sanction mercy for a mercenary spy.

 

The first thing any proponent of a pardon of Pollard has to know is that pardons are rarely granted. Regardless of the publicity of the Clinton pardons, millions of cases are tried in the American justice system each year and only hundreds of pardons are ever given. So it is ridiculous that Israelis and Jews act like Pollard’s pardon is his birthright.

 

My guess is that billionaire philanthropist Michael Milliken thought it was birthright and yet he did not receive a pardon. It took billionaire publishing heiress, Patty Hearst, over twenty years to receive her pardon. The Hearst family is American royalty.

 

One of the implied requirements for a pardon is remorse. Jonathan Pollard has shown none. In fact, his behavior indicates the opposite.

 

What his sentence too stiff? Maybe but it was within the margin of error. Pollard’s crime, treason is also punishable by death. There have been many studies that illustrate the vast differences in punishments for the same crime handed down by different judges.

 

At the present time, there is no answer for this serious problem. Right now, America does not have a different system of justice. We have to live with what we have. We can not review every sentence or the system would be thrown into chaos. Everybody would be demanding a review.

 

Was Pollard a victim of anti-Semitism? Maybe. Martha Stewart claimed that she was victimized for being a powerful woman. Unfortunately, justice is not blind. Personal factors enter into all judges’ decisions.

 

From start to finish, Israel mishandled the Pollard affair. If Pollard is still in jail, it is only because of Israel. So it is time that we acknowledge our mistakes and stop asking the United States to bail us out.

 


פרסום ראשון: 11.19.06, 20:03
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