Jonathan Pollard

Jonathan Pollard is an American citizen convicted of spying for Israel currently serving a life prison term. His wife at that time, Anne, was sentenced to five years in prison for assisting him.

In November 1985, FBI agents arrested Pollard, who was a U.S. Navy intelligence analyst, on charges of selling classified material to Israel.

Embarrassed by the affair, Israel apologized and explained that the operation was unauthorized. An Israeli inquiry found that Pollard was not working for Israeli intelligence or the Mossad, but that he was being by a small, independent scientific intelligence unit. It also found that Pollard initiated the contact with the Israelis.

Pollard denies spying "against" the United States and claims he provided information he felt was vital to Israeli security but that the Pentagon was withholding.