The National Council of Young Israel today urged people to call the White House to support President Shimon Peres’ request that Jonathan Pollard’s sentence be commuted to time served and that he be released from prison. Peres will travel to the United States this week in his final foreign visit as President of the State of Israel before his term ends next month. Peres will meet with President Obama at the White House on Wednesday, June 25.

In a meeting this weekend with Esther Pollard, Jonathan’s wife, President Peres said that he would discuss Jonathan Pollard’s plight with President Obama and ask that he be released on humanitarian grounds. “It is a national responsibility to work to free Pollard, I will speak to the President of the United States on behalf of the people of Israel,” said Peres. “I intend to do this during my meetings in Congress and at the White House.”

People are encouraged to participate in the “Call for Clemency Campaign” Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of this week. People can contact the White House between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM EST at 202-456-1111. Tell the White House that you hope President Obama will heed President Peres’ request to commute Jonathan Pollard’s sentence and release him from prison immediately.

Pollard is completing his 29th year of an unprecedented life sentence in a federal prison for passing classified information to Israel, an ally of the United States. The median time served for this offense is 2 to 4 years. No one else in the history of the United States has ever received a life sentence for this offense. Pollard and the Government of Israel have both apologized and expressed remorse for their actions.

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