Will Israel’s Petition to Release Pollard Convince Obama?

Members of Knesset Nachman Shai and Ayelet Shaked, who head the caucus to free Jonathan Pollard, presented President Shimon Peres this morning with a petition for his release, signed by 106 lawmakers. The petition was signed as a cooperative effort between coalition partners and opposition, Jews and Arabs, calling for the release of Jonathan Pollard from prison in the US.

Israel’s Channel 10 TV station first reported Friday that Secretary of State John Kerry offered to free Pollard as part of an exchange for the release of a fourth group of Palestinian terrorists from Israeli jails as peace talks resume this week.

Pollard, a former U.S. intelligence analyst, was imprisoned for passing national defense information to the Israeli government in 1986. He was sentenced the following year.
According to Fox News, a source said Pollard’s release was in play, but it was unclear what price Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be asked to pay for it, or even if Netanyahu would agree to pay for it.

US administration officials, however, told their Israeli counterparts that there was “no chance” that US President Barack Obama would be willing to free Pollard in return for the release of Israeli-Arab prisoners.

A knowledgeable source who has been briefed on the discussions with Washington downplayed the importance of the statement.

“This is simply posturing,” said a knowledgeable source who had been briefed on the discussions with Washington. This is “to be expected as part of the process. Pollard is needed as a confidence-building gesture to break an impasse which the US created, not as a quid pro quo.”

Many prominent Israeli politicians, including Netanyahu, have been calling for Pollard’s release since his imprisonment. Those calls became louder after recent reports, based on documents leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, revealed that the NSA had tracked email accounts belonging to former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and defense minister Ehud Barak between 2008 and 2009.

Shai, at the beginning of the meeting with Peres, said:

“I am honored to present to you this request to the President of the United States of America, Barack Obama, which is based upon an agreement by 106 MKs, including 18 members of the government. The letter is intended for President Obama and I hope you will present it to him and stand at the head of the efforts to release Jonathan Pollard. Our request is simple and important – release Jonathan Pollard. The Knesset caucus is led by Ayelet Shaked and myself together with the public campaign and countless voices among the wider public.”

“The release of Jonathan Pollard, is a national matter, all the Knesset members including the Arab ones agree, it is the only issue on which we have consensus,” Shaked added.

Efi Lahav, the Campaign Coordinator for the effort to free Pollard, said, “As someone who visited Jonathan Pollard in prison in the United States, I can say that his health is in a bad way, time is ticking and it might even be too late. I thank you for everything you have done and are still doing and the MKs and the people of Israel for their support.”

Author: Shoshana Kesner
Date: Jan. 1, 2014

Send Passover Packages to Needy Israeli Soldiers - Bring Them Joy!

We are honored to thank the young men and women of the IDF who risk their lives every day to protect the citizens of Israel. Since October 7th, soldiers have been on the battlefield for months - many are hoping to come home for Passover.

Join us in sending Passover food packages (and personal notes) to Israeli soldiers and their families.

Many soldiers spend the Passover holiday with needy families back home. The soldiers greatly appreciate your love and concern. Bring them Passover joy!

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