As Israel prepares for the new peace plan to be proposed by the Trump administration, Israel is not without its own set of demands from the U.S. government.

Following the financial gesture that his administration made to the Palestinians, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has asked President Trump to allow Jonathan Pollard to immigrate to Israel.

According to the request made, Netanyahu promised that Pollard would have the same restrictions placed upon him in Israel as he does in the U.S. should the administration allow his release. The restrictions include being under an in-house curfew from 7:00 PM to 7:00 AM and is forced to wear an electronic monitoring device. Any computer or intenet usage is monitored. The restrictions have prevented Pollard from finding adequete employment, and even from attending Shul on Shabbos. Pollard also has travel restrictions, and is forbidden to speak with the press.

On Sunday, an Israeli team met with Palestinian President Rami Hamdallah in Rammallah. During the meeting the teams discussed a gesture of good faith in an effort to restart the stalled peace talks. the gesture would include the establishment of a joint Israeli-Palestinian industrial center in Tarkumiyah that would reside on land belonging to both sides, alleviating the process of the transfer of tax money to the Palestinian authority, and the advancement of building an access road for the Planned Palestinian city of Rawabi.

Trump’s emissary to the Middle East Jason Greenblatt said that: “There was significant progress made during Sunday’s meeting between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Significant breakthroughs in the financial sector, including discussion of revenues and investments that would facilitate the search for peace in the region.

Sources in the Prime Minister’s Office say that Netanyahu raises the topic of Pollard’s release to Israel in almost every meeting between Israeli and U.S. officials. U.S. sources for their part have made it clear that they do not wish to connect the issue of Pollard to restarting peace negotiations with Palestinians.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)