In a stunning move, Israel’s ambassador to the US, Dr. Michael Oren told the Washington radio station WTOP, that the spy operation involving Jonathan Pollard was “rogue organization in the Israeli intelligence community” – a variant of the very same lie (that it was a “rogue” operation) that infuriated America 25 years ago when Israel first made it. A lie that has long ago been dropped as Israel officially acknowledged that Pollard was an Israeli agent.
The move by Oren – allowing himself to be caught on a lie – with the bizarre situation that he said it when clearly he should be aware that his audience knows he is not telling the truth – undermines the credibility of Israel’s point man in Washington.
To make matters worse, Oren made the remark within the context of assuring that Israel is not spying on America today.
How can Ambassador Oren do damage control? He can issue an apology and correction, explaining that the correction is in the wake of a briefing he has just received – thus explaining his previous claim as reflecting a lack of information on his part rather than any intention to deceive.]
As a result of the ambassador’s major blunder, WTOP reports that 25 years after Pollard’s arrest, the “truth about for whom Israeli agent Jonathan Pollard was working is still in doubt”.
(IMRA – Dr. Aaron Lerner – Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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6 Responses
To play devil’s advocate, I don’t know why it helps Israel’s cause or Pollards cause to argue that he was an “official” israeli spy.
Saying he was a rogue serves to smooth relations with the US, and may even be a greater argument as to why he deserves clemency.
What makes you call it a lie, the fact that an American court convicted him? In light of recent precedings, the courts of here and there have shown just how credible they are. John Loftus in his book, “The Secret Was Against The Jews”, also says that Pollard was acting on his own. I cannot vouch for this on my own, but why would you call it a lie? If your point would be that it is an unpopular position, that is true, and it wasn’t a smart thing for him to have said.
Oren, is trying to get the Israeli government off the hook of responsibilty to free Polard – welcome to Acheinu Bnei Eruv Rav!
I love the “holier-than-thou” attitude of the U.S. – as if THEY don’t spy on Israel.
If you believe THAT, I have a bridge to sell you!
He starts out by calling it a few times an outright lie, but then he finishes off by saying “the truth about for whom Israeli agent Jonathan Pollard was working is still in doubt.”
Didn’t he insist that it was a lie?
As for the conviction, he was never convicted, he was duped into pleading guily.
Israel never said that spying on the United States was a matter of policy approved at the highest levels of the Israeli government. They only acknowledged that some Israeli officials hired him as a spy but their official line is that it was a “rogue” operation. To say otherwise would undermine US-Israel relations. Under most western legal systems, one is responsible for the actions of your shliach.