(AUDIO LINK BELOW) This past Monday, the Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Metzger – along with Rabbi Pesach Lerner Executive VP of NCYI & Mr. Shlomo Mostovsky Naional President of NCYI- visited Mr. Jonathan Pollard in jail. After leaving the prison, YWN was granted an exclusive interview with Rabbi Metzger about the condition of Mr. Pollard. An audio file of the interview is located at the bottom of this article.

With just four weeks remaining until President George Bush leaves office, the nationwide grass roots effort on behalf of Jonathan Pollard is entering a critical phase as people work to remind the White House of Jonathan Pollard’s plight and push for a commutation of his prison sentence. People are encouraged to go to freepollardnow.com every day for the next month and join the effort to help set Jonathan Pollard free. In addition, people are encouraged to urge their relatives, neighbors, friends, and business colleagues to visit freepollardnow.com and participate in this important endeavor.

Since freepollardnow.com was launched and the nationwide grass roots effort began just one month ago, tens of thousands of people have called and faxed the White House.

Because it is essential that the White House hear from as many people as possible in the next four weeks, visitors to freepollardnow.com are urged to continue calling, faxing, and sending letters to President Bush on a daily basis. The website provides contact information for the White House, a sample letter that people can fax or mail, and an online petition that will be sent to President Bush. Visitors to freepollardnow.com are reminded that just 60 seconds a day can help Jonathan Pollard go free.

Pollard, who just began his 24th year in federal prison, has repeatedly expressed his remorse publicly and in private in letters to many Presidents and others. His health has deteriorated significantly during his more than two decades in prison.

In addition, Pollard’s life sentence is grossly disproportionate when compared to the sentences of others who have spied for allied nations. Countless elected officials, individuals from the national intelligence arena and the legal world, as well as religious and community leaders, have described Pollard’s sentence as excessive, and have called for his sentence to be commuted.

“The response to this grass roots effort has been extraordinary, as thousands upon thousands of people have contacted the White House and called for Jonathan Pollard’s release,” said Rabbi Pesach Lerner, the Executive Vice President of the National Council of Young Israel, and one of the driving forces behind freepollardnow.com. “The next four weeks are especially critical, and we are hoping that people will continue calling and faxing President Bush and urge him to commute Jonathan Pollard’s sentence. After more than two decades in prison, it is time for Jonathan to go home to Israel and reunite with his family.”

AUDIO LINK: Click HERE to listen to the YWN Exclusive interview.

(YWN Desk – NYC)