The Knesset on Wednesday 24 Adar 5773 held a special session during which elected officials from a cross section of the political map called on US President Barak Obama to release Jonathan Pollard. In his statement Acting Knesset Speaker MK Binyamin Ben-Eliezer stated “almost every faction in this house agrees that after 28 years in an American jail, and at the age of 60, should be allowed to return to Israel.” The speaker added Israel has an obligation to bring Pollard home as it does its captives.
Bayit Yehudi MK Yoni Chetboun, who called for the special session on Pollard, said that in the very near future, he will have served 10,000 days in prison and both the State of Israel and Pollard have expressed remorse, so it is time to release him and permit him to come home.
“I am full of admiration for Secretaries of State Kissinger and Shultz along with other senior officials who among those calling for Pollard’s release in light of his unprecedented sentence. His poor health makes his immediate release even more urgent.”
Bayit Yehudi MK Avi Wortzman said the US leader’s visit coinciding with Pesach; the Festival of Freedom cannot be any more symbolic for anyone but Pollard, who must be released.
Diaspora Affairs Minister Yuli Edelstein added that Pollard’s release will be discussed during the upcoming visit of President Obama.
MKs from a number of parties echoed their words, sending a clear message to the US leader, a message that to date has fallen upon deaf ears.
Over 110,000 people have signed the Pollard clemency petition. If you have not yet done so, visit the site.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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One Response
Pollard is Obama’s trump card. I’m afraid he’ll use his release as a means of extorting a high price from Israel. It is political blackmail and it’s going to cost us dearly.