MK (Likud) Moshe Feiglin told Galei Yisrael that if Israel really pressed for his release, Jonathan Pollard would have already been a free man. MK )Bayit Yehudi) Avi Wortzman has begun circulating a petition, hoping to have elected officials sign demanding Pollard’s release. An internet petition has already received 16,400 signatures.
When asked what has to be done to obtain his release, Feiglin did not respond directly, but hinted and said the matter requires determination and there are many channels towards accomplishing this, adding “The State of Israel is flooded with American spies and agents.” He went on to praise Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for being the first Israeli leader to officially call upon the United States to release Pollard, adding “this is insufficient however”.
Feiglin reminded listeners that at the time, the United States wanted to imprison two people, Pollard and Aviem Sela. Both are Jews but one and only one held Israeli citizenship. Both were agents for Israel and both Jews, but the State of Israel only defended its citizen and left Pollard out on his own. He explains this is because it is the State of Israel and not a state of Jews.
“As a member of Yisrael/Beitenu will you pressure towards obtaining Pollard’s release?” he was asked, responding “you will still hear on this matter.”
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
Feiglin says, “The State of Israel is flooded with American spies and agents.”
This guy is mamash an idiot and obviously is doing all he can to assure that Pollard rots in prison for the rest of his life. Does he really think these kinds of comments and public pressure on Obama in advance of his visit will really improve the chances for a pardon? There are obviously reasons why Presidents of both parties have refused to release someone who betrayed his country and sold top secret information. Instead of this fixation on Pollard, the Israeli government should focus on the highest priority issue which is to achieve a strategic concensus on eliminating Iran’s nuclear weapons program. Thats going to be a major challenge and there is zero liklihood that confronting Obama on Pollard will help achieve such an outcome.
Moshe Feiglin is a demgogue who wil use any “hot button” issue to get his name in the press.
His comments are so assinine that they are unworthy of any response.
Gadolhadorah – You think Feiglin is an idiot? Are you looking in the mirror?
Israel doesn’t need any help from America to take on Iran. It just needs the courage to act, which it obviously does not have.
And by having the nerve to denigrate Pollard as “someone who betrayed his country” instead of praising him as “someone who sacrificed his freedom to help his brothers”, you demonstrate your lack of Ahavat Yisrael (which Pollard has in spades!!).