The White House said Wednesday that their position on releasing convicted spy Jonathan Pollard has not changed, despite pressure from both U.S. lawmakers and top Israeli officials.
“Our position has not changed, and will not change today,” press secretary Jay Carney told reporters. “I will simply remind you that Mr. Pollard was convicted of very serious crimes.”
Pollard, a former Navy analyst who pled guilty in 1987 of passing secrets to Israel, is currently serving a life sentence for his crimes.
Israeli President Shimon Peres will reportedly ask President Obama to consider a pardon for Pollard at a meeting today. And Reps. Christopher Smith (R-N.J.) and Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) have written a letter asking Obama to release Pollard.
The Pollard situation is one of the few ongoing sources of tension between the usually close United States and Israel, with top Israeli politicians pressuring the last few presidential administrations to release Pollard.
(Source: Politico)
10 Responses
before anyone make disparaging remarks please keep in mind that the white house does hold shleeta over us and if not intentionally take revenge at least not even attempt at showing warm feeling towards the jewish community and we will only have ourselves to blame
“of very serious crimes” – The most serious that Jonathan is Jewish and Israel is a Jewish state.
I’m sure no one is surprised. I’m sure not. Did they really think that Obama, of all people, would release Pollard? Not a chance!
“I will simply remind you that Mr. Pollard was convicted of very serious crimes.”
And no other spy in US history has ever sat so long
“And no other spy in US history has ever sat so long”
-especially the ones that were executed.
Reminder that neither of the Bush(s) or Reagan, the darling of the Milhouse chevrah, were willing to pardon him either. He betrayed his country and no sitting President will issue a pardon for a self-confessed spy going into to an election. Peres knew that but felt he had to go through the motions.
We should be thankful that we live in a Medina Shel Chesed. In the not so distant past a spy like Pollard would have been executed.
Relax my friends. Late October or very early November Jonathan will be released in time for the elections. Why? Because every vote will count and the president will be in desperate need of Jewish votes.
I would humbly submit that it was Reagan and his neo-con goons who broke their promise after making a deal with Mr. Pollard.
#5:
Very few spies have been executed,ever. There are a number of spies who were convicted of spying for enemy governments who served MUCH shorter sentences than Pollard. For a spy who passed information on to an ally to get a life sentence is unheard of.
Interestingly enough, the only spies to ever be executed in the United States during times of peace were . . . the Rosenbergs.