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Jonathan Pollard: Forgotten hero |
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Written by Baruch Cohen
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Tuesday, 01 September 2009 |
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Jonathan Pollard has now served 22 years in an American prison for serving American and Israeli interests. A limit must finally be put to this outrageous travesty and to the total indifference and silence: Free Jonathan Pollard.
In 1985, the year of Pollard’s arrest, the US defence intelligence establishment was suffering a wave of humiliations, as spies were uncovered in the intelligence community. FBI agents arrested Pollard, who was a US Navy intelligence analyst, on charges of selling classified material to Israel. Pollard initially agreed to a plea-bargain with the US Navy, in exchange for pleading guilty to passing classified information to an ally, Israel. In return, the government would supposedly not seek the maximum sentence, life imprisonment.
In a highly irregular move, then-Defence Secretary Caspar Weinberger submitted a secret, personal, 46-page classified national security document describing the so-called damage Pollard supposedly caused to US national security and demanding he be sentenced to life.
The document put an end to any chance, any hope for Pollard’s ultimate liberation. Disregarding the plea-bargain, the judge sentenced Pollard to life in prison for espionage.
Pollard’s genuine one and only concern was for the security of Israel, the strongest, most valuable and closest ally of the US.
The documents transferred by Pollard contained information about Syrian and Iraqi chemical weapons production and other matters of direct security concern, which had been withheld from Israel. None of this information endangered or jeopardized US interests.
There are numerous examples of American spies who have acted against their country and for hostile foreign powers. Yet despite the strong evidence against a number of these individuals, who knowingly betrayed their country, their terms were relatively short and were later either reduced or terminated for good conduct.
Today, there is a renewed hope for Pollard’s release. US?President Barack Obama could indeed prove, by releasing Pollard, that he is a genuine friend of Israel. Pollard has been punished enough. Jonathan Pollard should be released and allowed to go home to Israel. After 24 years, he has been punished enough.
We must not forget Pollard, nor must we rest or keep silent: Jonathan Pollard should come home, now.
Baruch Cohen is Research Chairman of the Canadian Institute for Jewish Research.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 09 September 2009 )
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