Unfortunately, in this case the skeptics may have been correct chas v’sholom. National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor released a statement there is no change in the Obama administration’s policy regarding the release of Jonathan Pollard, who according to reports is dying in a Butner North Carolina Hospital. Perhaps Vietor’s message was simply a trial balloon permitting the president to assess the Jewish community’s response ahead of the presidential elections before Mr. Obama releases an official statement.
Justice 4 Pollard officials however insist the remarks released by Vietor do not represent an official White House response to the letter submitted by President Shimon Peres, who thanks the US president for his firm support of Israel, calling upon him to make this humanitarian decision on behalf of Pollard, whose health appears to be failing after over a quarter of a century behind bars for handing information to Israel, a staunch US ally.
There is a great deal of disinformation and speculation surrounding the Israel presidential request, but it does appear that for now, the White House has not officially responded.
MK Uri Ariel feels the statement is tantamount to White House refusal, and he is calling on President Shimon Peres to cancel his upcoming meeting with President Obama due to the administration’s refusal to grant him a pardon on humanitarian grounds.
Nevertheless, many are less than optimistic with the realization that Vice President Joe Biden is among those who feels Pollard should die in prison, leading many to ponder just what dark secrets Pollard carries with him, secrets that jeopardize not just former senior American officials, but officials in Israel as well.
Pollard has been the scapegoat for many, sacrificing his life for the State of Israel and the Jewish People, yet prominent powerbrokers in the USA such as AIPAC (The American Israel Public Affairs Committee) and the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations appear to prefer maintaining their good standing with the White House rather than elicit the administrations’ ire on behalf of Pollard, playing political ball at the expense of a man who is now fighting for his life. Despite Vietor’s statement, they remains silent, unwilling to rock Capitol Hill for the sake of Pollard.
The tzibur is urged to continue being mispallel for Yehonatan ben Malka b’soch kol cholei am yisrael.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
9 Responses
There’s a deep, dark secret about the whole Pollard issue. I wish I knew what it was. And no, it’s NOT as simple as you’ll try to make it sound…
Whether he frees Pollard or not, he has already assured himself a nice hot place in gehenom for not only not allowing Pollard to visit his father when he was dying, but for not even allowing him to attend his father’s levaya.
Would THAT have endangered national security?
He IS a RASHA.
The BIG secret about Jonathan Pollard is that he is a JEW.
Obama is stonewalling, waiting (hoping) for the death to occur. He will then claim that the matter had been complicated and was being reviewed, bla, bla, and a favorable decision was at hand when death occurred, bla, bla. And the vast majority of peanut brained Jews will vote for him again.
Not to worry there are plenty of cold blooded ‘heimishe’ yidden who will never the less still vote for Obama ys”v. Unfortunately many frum and regular people get blinded by politics.
There really is a deep dark secret. I remember this from years ago… There was some sort of deal made to have him released, but he refused bec it wasn’t a full pardon or something like that. I may have the details wrong, but I definitely remember thinking at the time, that it really isn’t as simple as Jewish politicians make it seem..
I wonder if we’ll ever know the truth.
#2)
Think.
If it IS a matter of national security, and he is carrying (in his head) some sensitive info, then yes going to a public Levaye would most certainly give him a chance to spill the secret.
In this particular issue, he may be an achzor, but not necessarily a Rasha.
Remember in the presidential elections in the coming Fall to vote against Obama. He is not a mensch.
#7 Baal Boose…
Sorry but what you said does not hold up for TWO reasons:
1) Any information he had/has is OVER 25 years old – thus EXTREMELY unlikely to be relevant any more.
AND
2) Over all the years of he has been in prison, countless people of all types have come to visit him. If he wanted to “spill a secret” he has had plenty of opportunities to do so. – And if you will suggest that he was being watched during these visits so he couldn’t do it, he could have been watched during his father’s levaya as well.
Bottom line… yes, NECESSARILY a rasha.