Former spy Jonathan Pollard announced Sunday that he is joining Israel First, a political platform established by former deputy minister Sharren Haskel ahead of Israel’s October election.
Speaking alongside Haskel near the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Pollard said the failures surrounding the October 7 attack had convinced him that Israel needed a new government and new political leadership.
Jonathan Pollard announces his support for and entry into Sharren Haskel’s Israel First party in Jerusalem
(Photo: Courtesy of Shiran Peretz PR)
“On October 7, I saw that the country had been abandoned and betrayed,” Pollard said. Addressing Haskel directly, he added: “With you, I hope there will be a new government dedicated to protecting the land and the people of Israel.”
“I have known many members of Knesset, but after October 7 no one wanted to take responsibility, until today,” he said.
Pollard later said the only way to prevent another October 7 was to place people he trusted in positions of responsibility.
“The only way to prevent another October 7 is to put people like you in positions of responsibility, because I know where your heart is,” he told Haskel. “You fought for me without boasting about it. You were quiet, loyal and effective. And that is what we need in the new Knesset.”
Pollard, 72, is an American-born Jew who spied for Israel while working as a civilian intelligence analyst for the U.S. Navy in Washington. He was arrested by the FBI in 1985 and pleaded guilty to providing classified information to Israel. He was sentenced to life in prison in 1987.
He was released on parole in 2015, and after restrictions on his movement expired, he moved to Israel in 2020.
Pollard has previously weighed into Israeli election campaigns. In 2022, ahead of the previous election, he announced his support for former interior minister Ayelet Shaked, only to withdraw the endorsement later the same day following pressure from figures on the Israeli right.
Haskel welcomed Pollard’s support, describing it as a significant boost for her party.
“Israel First is receiving meaningful support from an Israeli hero who paid an extremely heavy personal price for his commitment to Israel and the Jewish people,” she said. “To hear from him that he places his trust in me is a great privilege and a great responsibility.”