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Officials: Pollard release to be part of peace negotiations
Itamar Eichner
Published: 24.12.13, 11:38
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1. Between a rock and a hard place
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (12.24.13)
Love it! Let's see Hussein Obama wriggle out of that one. Pollard will go free, and April is right around the corner. Leverage is a good thing.
2. One word: RIDICULOUS
Reuven ,   Netanya   (12.24.13)
3. Who ever is controlling puppet Obama's strings..
Ivan ,   South Africa   (12.24.13)
pull the right strings and release Jonathan pollard...
4. Jonathan Polard should have been released a long time ago,
Nl.L.Katz ,   Qatzrin, Israel   (12.24.13)
without ANY relationship to anything but to pure decency. The fact that Mr. Obama is going to try to extract a price for Polard's release is despicable and says more about Obama than about a "peace deal"...!!
5. Pollard's release a part of....
Toledano Jean-Pierre ,   Israel   (12.24.13)
Listen, I understand that Pollard, an USA citzen, is in their - USA government, CIA, FBI,... - eyes a traitor. He was caught and judged for what he did. Now, after the revelations of Snowden, about the NSA eavesdropping on world leaders, politicians, civilians,... also on Israeli ministers it's time to release Pollard. He did wrong to the USA, but now the USA showed that they did the same to its allies (Germany, France, Israel,...). Plus the CIA (?) hired a house near Ehud Barak's appartment or office and not to protect him. But, to include Pollard's release into the peace negotiations, it's not the correct step. It's my opinion! But again, after the revelations of Snowden, the USA unilaterally has to release Pollard after the latter was so longtime behind the bars. zeh hou
6. Your good friends Reagan and both Bushes did nothing...
miki ,   tampa   (12.24.13)
Bibi you have insulted Obama, lied to the man, actively supported Romney in the elections, you have drafted APEC, the Republican Party, and thousands of crazy evangelical Christians against government policies in America, and now you of all people come with demands? Hypocrisy and cheap populism in a neat bundle.
7. No.2
Madeleine ,   Israel   (12.24.13)
Why ridiculous?? About time. good for Bibi!!! Shame on you for not agreeing.
8. Mr. Polard ought to be released, without ANY conditions, and
N.L.Katz ,   Qatzrin, Israel   (12.24.13)
NOW!! Only a B.H.Obama can be as cynical as making a link between releasing this man from prison and Israel's right to defend itself in the face of the Islamist world surrounding it.
9. He is to be released in 2015 anyway, so why the brouhaha ?
deavman ,   Akko   (12.24.13)
10. Netanyahu is about to give up the store so he dangles
Al   (12.24.13)
Pollard in order to make it more acceptable to the Israeli electorate. Its been done before with Clinton. Netanyahu is a fool and a danger to Israel. Israel will be in a indefensible position after this 'peace' accord.
11. Jonathan Polard
Peter Koritschoner ,   London England   (12.24.13)
If Israel can free terrorists in deal to speak with the PLO why on earth is Jonathan Polard still serving time in prison?
12. Don't expect better than blackmail from USA
(12.24.13)
13. will he fall for it again?
(12.24.13)
Clinton already solemnly promised Netanyahu to release Pollard in exchange for the Hebron deal. Of course, after Netanyahu surrendered Hebron to the PLO, it turned out Clinton lied just like with Lewinsky.
14. Slick move by Bibi
A ,   Belgium   (12.24.13)
The Americans will never agree to release Pollard and Bibi knows it, because the "palestinians" will also not accept Pollards release and will threaten...again..to stop the "peace talks" charade. By refusing to release Pollard, and if Bibi stands firm that this is a non-negotiable condition for Israel to continue the "peace talks", the Americans will in effect end the "peace talks" themselves, as Pollard's release would infuriate their "palestinian" allies. Oblabla and Kerry are trapped again by their incompetence, as they also recently were by Putin.
15. #11 is a genius
Ephraim ,   Jerusalem   (12.24.13)
Great idea. No more palestinians released unless Pollard is part of the deal. That will force the palestinians to pressure for his release. How is it possible no one thought of this before. Very simple, really. Good job, sir. NO one can argue. We have to release people that caused death, injury, and misery to many, and will absolutely (by all past precedents) return to terrorism. Pollard hurt no one, his deeds did not harm the US one bit, and he is not a future risk to anyone.
16. #6 reality
(12.24.13)
You can love Obama and hate Netanyahu, but you can't invent your own truth. Netanyahu did not insult Obama, it was Obama who insulted Netanyahu. Netanyahu never lied to Obama, but Obama did say "you can keep your doctor", "the filmmaker did it" and "it was a rogue IRS agent". Netanyahu never supported Romney, although he should have. As for "crazy Evangelicals", you mean the ones who tried to stop the Obamacare disaster? Or the ones who want to know why the American ambassador to Libya was raped?
17. The next time Kerry sets foot in Israel arrest him at border
Stop the srrender ,   to USA   (12.24.13)
and trade him for Pollard. Then tell Obama PIECE negotiations are over!!!
18. Mr Netanyahu and his Likud Party
miki ,   tampa   (12.24.13)
Mr Netanyahu and his Likud Party had thrown their support solidly behind Mitt Romney in what opposition leader Shaul Mofaz described as “a rude, blunt, unprecedented, wanton and dangerous intervention in the United States election.” Washington Post-Ny Times-HaAretz-UK Independan... The good missionary work of those evagelicals ideologically want the Jews around so that when converted to their own brand of Fundamentalist BS their messiah will come-should I continue?
19. I remember the good ol' days....
Noodles ,   Coney Island   (12.24.13)
When Americans actually had some morals....
20. To: No. 13
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (12.24.13)
No, I believe the plan would be for Pollard to be released and safely in Israel. Then, and only then, Israel will announce that it changed its mind and will not engage in futile so-called "negotiations" with Abbas & Co. Nothing ventured; nothing gained. Obama won't like it much when Israel annexes Judea and Samaria, though .... and he'll like it even less when Israel repatriates West Bank Arabs to Jordan .... .... but that's okay. I'm pretty sure that Prime Minister Netanyahu doesn't give a rat's ass what Obama does and does not like.
21. Israel must stop depending on the US
CJK   (12.24.13)
the us has never been a reliable ally to the jewish state. every president has bullied israel for this or that or another. today, israel has a powerful military and a good economy. very soon, israel will have oil/gas for exports. israel depends on the us for only two things: military aircraft and the veto in the unsc. israel made a huge mistake when she acquiesced to us pressure and stopped building the lavi. it is not too late for israel to develop her own air force, cutting off her dependence on the us. israel must also stop depending on the us veto in the unsc. given constant, open, anabashed interference in israel's affairs, israel would be better served by stopping this dependence and let the chips fall where they might. it is time for israel to gain full sovereignty and tell the west to mind its own business.
22. Obama will never release Pollard
CJK   (12.24.13)
obama will never release a jew who spied for israel. if by chance he did, the price for israel would be exorbitant. however, netanyahu should stop cooperating with obama in the destruction of israel. obama has already destroyed countless countries for his own whims. israel should not become part of that deplorable list.
23. #17 Way to prove Jewish American loyalties.....
Cali Lib ,   Los Angeles, USA   (12.24.13)
To Israel first and foremost.
24. To: No. 18
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (12.24.13)
You said the magic words --Washington Post - NY Times - Ha'aretz - UK Independent. Do you also read the National Enquirer?
25. #18,your knowledge of Judaism and Israel is very superficial
Steve Benassi ,   Silver Bay, MN USA   (12.24.13)
26. clinton betrayed pollard so certainly we can't trust obama
zionist forever   (12.24.13)
If any kind of deal is done and it must be based on REASONABLE demands which means we don't release thousands of arabs, ones with blood on their hands or Marwan Bargouti for Pollard then in theory its acceptable but even if an agreement is made between Israel, arabs and the US never trust Obama especially on Pollard. At the peak of oslo Clinton promised to release Pollard but he later went back on it. Problem is to the American public Pollard is an American citizen who spied on his own country and thats unforgivable and no president wants to be seen as releasing a man who is viewed a s a traitor by the general pubic so even if he did a deal with Israel and Israel did its bit wouldn't trust Obama to go back on his word at the last minute once the arabs got their prize.
27. The sad part about this article
arne ,   chicago usa   (12.24.13)
is that Israel is put in a bad situation. On the one hand they want Pollard set free and they will be forced to sign on to what might be a bad deal with the Pals.This reminds me of the Shalit deal.Shame, shame on Uncle Sam.I hope Bibi does not give into this senario
28. Anyone expects, that we give up a country for 1 man? Crazy!
tom ,   tel aviv   (12.24.13)
29. To: CJK at No. 22
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (12.24.13)
Netanyahu's holding all the trump cards. He can announce additional building permits in Judea and Samaria -- 20,000 or 30,000 units at a time -- on a daily basis. He can refuse to release any more terrorists from prison. He can take steps to re-incarcerate those who have already been released. He can withdraw each and every permit to work in Israel issued to a West Bank Arab. What's the United States going to do? It has no leverage against Israel, and no credibility. Israel stopped taking the United States seriously quite a while ago, and quite justifiably. A threat to withhold a United States veto in the Security Council? Fine. Go for it. Israel will release documented evidence and a genuine birth certificate attesting to the fact that Obama was born in Kenya and thus is Constitutionally ineligible to be the president of the United States. No, I would say that Israel has the United States squarely across the barrel on this one. Game, set and match to Israel.
30. #20 sarah the b. the same strategy
O Yosef   (12.24.13)
that is expressed in the most holy prayer Kol Nedri. " oaths are not oaths, vows are not vows, promises are not promises. Any wonder israel is not trusted.
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