US officials could release Jewish-American spy who sold secrets to Israel
U.S. officials are reportedly ready to release a Jewish-American spy who sold state secrets to Israel in 1985, in an effort to smooth tensions over the Iran nuclear deal.
News that Jonathan Pollard’s prison term my be over sent shockwaves through Washington, D.C. where military and intelligence chiefs have been staunchly opposed to freedom.
The Pentagon sees Pollard as a traitor who copied reams of highly classified intelligence from his U.S. Naval Intelligence office and sold it to Israeli operatives for tens of thousands of dollars.
Successive Israeli leaders, most recently Benjamin Netanyahu and Shimon Peres, have pushed for Pollard’s early release, after granting him an Israeli passport in 1995. Israel officially apologised for its role in the affair in 1987, when he was jailed, but only admitted to paying for the information ten years later.
Now, U.S. officials have been quoted in the Washington Post as preparing to release the spy when he becomes eligible for parole in November, which has angered Langley, where successive CIA chiefs have threatened to resign if he is set free.
Pollard, now 60, said he was motivated by concerns for Israel’s security, but this argument has been dismissed as a sham, with evidence that he tried to sell information to South America and Pakistan alongside arms deals in Argentina, Taiwan and Iran.
At his trial, it emerged that, when questioned, he called his wife and used the codeword “cactus,” at which point she removed a suitcase full of classified material from their apartment. She was subsequently jailed for three years, while he pleaded guilty and was given a life sentence.
U.S. officials have denied any decision on Pollard’s release would be related to diplomatic fall-out from the nuclear deal with Iran, with National Security Council spokeswoman Alistair Baskey saying there was “absolutely zero linkage”.
However, his freedom would be a public-relations boon to Benjamin Netanyahu, who is under fire at home for antagonising the White House in March and for failing to stop world powers agreeing a nuclear deal with Iran earlier this month.
“Like all of Israel, I will be very happy if he is released,” said Noam Shalit, father of former Hamas hostage Gilad Shalit. “I can’t speak to international relations…But on the human level, I’d say it’s about time.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
