In a Fox TV News Report [3/8/07] regarding Hassan Abujihaad, the former US Navy sailor recently arrested on charges of espionage and terror, former FBI deputy director Bill Gavin responded, “I have visions of the Jonathan Pollard case.” Gavin then proceeded to discuss how seriously Hassan Abujihaad had violated US law.Pollard’s case is totally unrelated to the case of Abujihaad. There is no basis whatsoever for linking them. Neither case is, in any way, reminiscent of the other.
Gavin’s deliberately suggesting that there is some similarity between Pollard and Abujihaad, a Moslem spy who, [according to CNN] is accused of “supporting terrorism with intent to kill US Citizens”, is insidious symmetry and rank anti-Semitism. By linking the two cases, unknowing viewers are led to draw the wrong conclusions about the Jewish spy and the Jewish State he spied for.
As a former deputy director of the FBI, Gavin cannot claim ignorance. He surely knows that unlike Hassan Abujihaad:
1) JONATHAN POLLARD DID NOT SPY FOR A TERRORIST ENTITY. Israel is not a terrorist entity. Gavin’s remark leads viewers to believe that it is.
2) POLLARD DID NOT SUPPORT TERROR. All of his activities were intended to prevent terror which was being perpetrated upon Israeli civilian targets. Again, Gavin’s remark suggests the opposite.
3) POLLARD DID NOT DELIVER CLASSIFIED INFORMATION TO A TERRORIST ENTITY WITH INTENT TO KILL AMERICAN CITIZENS. Jonathan Pollard, unlike Abujihaad, was never accused, charged or indicted of intent to harm the US.
For 22 years, J4JP has repeatedly warned that Jonathan’s case is being used as a tool by the US Intelligence community and by those hostile to the US -Israel special relationship, to call into question Israel’s reliability as an ally and the loyalty of the American Jewish community. This is just the latest episode by the FBI attempting to discredit Israel and the Jews by misportraying Jonathan Pollard, the Jewish spy.
J4JP’s caution went unheeded when the US used Pollard’s case as a basis to fabricate the Mega Spy Scandal accusations against Israel.
J4JP’s warnings fell on deaf ears when the Pentagon used Pollard’s case as a basis for sending out a memo warning that the Israeli Government was “aggressively” trying to steal US military and intelligence secrets and therefore Jewish subcontractors were not to be trusted because of their close ties with Israel, and Israel’s status as a “non-traditional adversary.” (See the Washington Post.)
Now the FBI slings mud at Israel and the Jews by drawing insidious symmetery between the case of Jonathan Pollard and that of jihadi spy terrorist Hassan Abujihaad.
It should be noted that while the case of Abujihaad is infinitely more damaging to the US, Abujihaad, if convicted, faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. Not life.
Only Pollard, the Jewish spy for the Jewish State, continues to serve a life sentence for his efforts to prevent terrorism and to save Jewish lives.
This is Pollards official response: Jonathan Pollard relayed the following comments from FCI Butner, North Carolina, in response to the recent FBI smear.
“I have warned for the last 22 years that this organization, the FBI, is extremely anti-Semitic. Apart from being anti-Israel, they are extremely anti-Semitic. Institutionally they pose a clear and present danger to the viability of the American Jewish community.
“I have tried for years to tell people that a major thrust of the interrogation that the FBI performed was to attempt to coerce me into implicating AIPAC and the ADL. That was a persistent theme in their interrogation. The lists of Jews that they showed me, and from which I was repeatedly asked to finger “co-conspirators”, were exhaustive in their scope. The lists included every single Jewish legislator on both the State and Federal level; academicians; business men; and Jewish leaders of all types. This was not a list of Jews that had been put together just for my interrogation. It was clearly a list of prominent Jews that the FBI had compiled over decades.
“To think that this organization doesn’t have an anti-Jewish agenda is literally to dismiss all of the evidence that is openly available. The former deputy director Bill Gavin who just smeared all Jews by making a statement to Fox News, insidiously linking me with a jihadi terrorist spy, is the same guy who was the driving force behind the current assault on AIPAC. His comment making this invidious equation between me and a Moslem terrorist spy clearly shows where these people are coming from. They are not concerned with American security per se, as much as they are with destroying the American Jewish community’s political viability in Washington. In that respect, the FBI hates Jews more than they love America.
“The FBI were the ones who down-played the murder of Rabbi Kahane because he was “just a troublesome Jew.” In so doing, they overlooked the link to the first World Trade Center bombing and ultimately to 9/11. Their anti-Semitism resulted in the deaths of 3000 Americans.
“The FBI’s continuing refusal to allow Arabic-speaking Jews to act as translators of material obtained in wire-taps, again shows just how much they hate Jews, rather than evidencing any concern for national security. Moslems may act as translators for the FBI, but Jews may not. There is a clear line here. To continue to ignore it is to do so at the Jewish community and Israel’s own peril.”
(Source: J4JP)
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35 Responses
It is my understanding that today Mr. Pollard is a Frum Yid. The picture of him is the same old one with the long hair. Does anyone have a more recent picture of him with his hair cut and his Yarmulke. It would be nice to see an updated picture of this Yid who has the Zchus of having thousands of us being Mispallel for him daily and thousands of us calling for his release (everyone should be calling the white house every day!!!!) and this Yid who the Gedolai Oilam are writing letters for.
His article makes good points and comparisons, except by crying wolf (anti-semitism.) These FBI statements have no anti-semitism, even though its wrong.
pls reprint the washington dc phone number for leaving a message re mr pollard’s release.
i have called before and would like to keep on calling but cannot find the number.
thank you.
26 estate
you make a good point, However for me, just looking at the picture here makes me want to cry! May HASHEM help him!!
NEBECH
Call The White House comment line and request clemency for Jonathan Pollard at 202-456-1414, as per direction on Gedolei Yisroel.
did bush get the letter from harav eliyashev yet? that say’s that he should let him free .
26: Maybe he is a frum Jew with long hair.
… and the U.S.’s own peril!
Joseph
Gavin said I have visions of the Pollard Case!!.What do yo think he was refering to? Come On stop putting your head in the sand! As far as what Pollard said,The Farsi speaking Iranian jews in Baltimore (who live there thanks to Rabbi Neubergers efforts) will tell you how after 9/11,they couldnt get jobs as translators for the FBI although they live in close proximity to Wasington D.C.What can you answer to that?There are thousands of frum Iranians here.How many work for Homeland Security?
he is a frum yid with long hair.
Jonathan’s case is being used as a tool by the US Intelligence community and by those hostile to the US -Israel special relationship, to call into question Israel’s reliability as an ally and the loyalty of the American Jewish community.
That is precisely the taanah on Pollard. His actions led to these dire results. He endangered the community to satisfy his greed (he spied for money). Why should the community now go out on a limb to save him? By doing so, we only strengthen the impression that we support his actions.
i’m sure Bush will listen immediately to the letter from R’ Elyashiv he must follow daas torah
Hey Kishke,
L’maase, the Gedolei Yisroel view him as a someone we have an obligation to help in the geder of Pidyon Shevuim. Whose impression are you worried about?
Maybe you should check out the http://www.jonathanpollard.com site for details about his case before saying claiming there is such “taanah” on him.
Kishke
Are you forgetting how that Meshumed Casper Weinberger double crossed him?
Dovie: He’s been in jail for years; the gedolim never said to do anything. What changed now? Obviously, someone got to them with information and convinced them that it should be done. Clearly, though, they were not told the whole story. Who knows what they would say if they had all the facts.
Obviously, the website of his supporters is going to deny that he did it for money. That was his whole defense. But if you do some googling, you’ll easily find credible sources that say otherwise. In addition, I recently read an article on jpost by the guy who helped put him away, and he says that people are unaware of the tremendous damage Pollard did to the US.
Detroiter wrote:
Are you forgetting how that Meshumed Casper Weinberger double crossed him?
First of all, Weinberger is not Jewish. He had a Jewish grandfather is all.
Secondly, what does Weinberger’s “double-cross” have to do with anything I said? I object to Pollard’s traitorous actions, which selfishly endangered his fellow Jews. His treatment at Weinberger’s hands is irrelevant to my objections.
Kishke
It seems that at one point about 15 “moles” working for the U.S in the former Soviet Union were suddenly eliminated and the U.S was left in the dark for a period of time and they felt Pollard had something to do with it and they had no Rachmonus and blamed him for that too.Later it was revealed that Aldrich Ames had been the one who had compromised them leaving secret docs for them in West Virginia.His sentence is much lighter than Pollards and he spied for an enemy.
Kishke said: “The Gedolim were not told the whole story.” Were you there? What kind of nonsense comment is that! What do you know? Your speaking about two men who are bit more savvy, a bit more educated, and a bit more wise than the rest of us. And, they also have a little help from Above. If you have a real reason to think that this is not a mitzva of pidyon shevuim, then go right ahead and make it. But you don’t. So you quote Jpost. Pathetic.
Detroiter: So he was better than Aldrich Ames. So what? What he did was wrong, and was done for personal gain, and represents a danger to us all. He doesn’t deserve our help.
Dovie: Let’s see if you can allow some of the real world to dispel your fantasy. You may not realize this, but R’ Elyashiv and the others did not find out about Pollard through ruach hakodesh or through reading the papers. Some askan or another told them the story. Presumably, it was someone who is friendly to Pollard, in which case you don’t have to be a genius to know that he only told them things that would be favorable to Pollard. It is very likely that they do not know that Pollard did it for money, or the extent of the damage he caused the US. It is altogether possible that if they would know this, they would not have signed the kol korei. Sure, it’s speculative, but it’s logical speculation. You find it difficult to swallow………
Edited by Moderation Panel
I am sorry – no disrespect meant when asking for a picture of him without the long hair – you can be Frum with long hair but you cannot be in prison with long hair………
I’m with KISHKE on this one.
Gedolim do not do their research on a crystal ball. Their “prescription” may be limited by the quality of their “diagnosis,” which may well have been less than perfect in the event that his source of information was biased.
This is isn’t paskening about the Kosher status of a chicken. The facts are not straightforward and may not have been made available to the relevant Gadol. As blasphemous as this may sound to some, it is true.
Kishke: I strongly disagree with your opposition of freeing Pollard. But besides that even if you were right, did you compare his sentence to the sentences of others who spied for allied nations or even enemy nations?
Jonathan Pollard is the only person in the history of the United States to receive a life sentence for spying for an American ally, whilst the maximum sentence for others was 14 years and early release might exist, the median sentence for the offense Pollard committed is 2 to 4 years, Pollard is now in the 22nd year of his life sentence, with no end in sight.
For a list of Comparative Sentences go to: http://www.jonathanpollard.org/sentences.htm now don’t tell me that this list is false and was only made in Pollards favor.
CKY
DISTURBINGLY BLASPHEMOUS! You make it sound as if these two Torah Giants allowed themselves to be coerced into action while ‘blindfolded’. Not to mention their ‘syato dishmayo’. Are you actually suggesting that those who see that letter signed by the Gedolim as a ‘green light’ are being naive???
INTERESTING PERSPECTIVE from someone who calls himslef CHAREDIM kol Yisroel. Even if that IS the case, arent we expected to be mikabel what our leaders proclaim REGARDLESS on whether or not we have questions,,??
“even if you were right, did you compare his sentence to the sentences of others who spied for allied nations or even enemy nations?”
It’s irrelevant to my point, which, to repeat, is (a) that his crime damaged the standing of Jews in America, and (b) that our identifying with him damages it further.
nameless says:
DISTURBINGLY BLASPHEMOUS!
Recognizing that gedolim are human and can receive poor information is not blasphemous. It’s foolish to think otherwise. Because foolishness is the new fashion does not mean I (or you) need succumb.
Dovie
Whatever happened to “Shaylos Chochom Chatsi Teshuva”?
‘……gedolim can receive poor information’
You admit that this is pure speculation. Maybe they indeed recieved correct information and acted anyway.
But this is apointless arguement because you are against freeing Pollard in any case, so is your take on this really objective??
I am about as anti Pollard as you can get. And I think that the reason the gedoilim shlita came out at this time, and not years ago, is that regardless of his motivations and his background, his sentence is way out of line. He did the crime, he served the time, let him out already and let his own actions afterward show who he is. If the gedoilim shlita had come out at the time of sentencing, I, too, would wonder if they had chas vesholom gone tziyoini. Coming out now shows that this is being done from true ahavas yisroel tempered with gevura – yes, Pollard broke the laws of our malchus shel chessed in favor of yenne medine – BUT he is being singled out for an unfairly long sentence and he IS a Jew and his cause is identified by the goyim as being a Jewish cause.
u admit that this is pure speculation.
I said it’s logical a speculation and explained why.
you are against freeing Pollard in any case, so is your take on this really objective??
Of course it is. I have nothing to gain personally by him remaining in jail. This is merely my well-founded opinion.
Re: G’dolim and information
Two years ago when we had the incident with the Indian hair in shtiels, first there was one pisock given, as more information and reliable individuals were sent to Indian to investigate the issue of avodah zara, another pisock was directed. Of course, g’dolim have the ability and daas to inform the public BUT only with the proper and complete details.
Our primary hishtadlus in this case is to continue davening. A Yid has been given a brutal and seemingly unfair sentence, and needs our help.
I’m not sure that an analysis of his actions is an appropriate reaction to a cry for help. Certainly, postulation on the factual integrity of our Gedolim’s decision making process is out of place.
“Certainly, postulation on the factual integrity of our Gedolim’s decision making process is out of place.”
To the contrary, it’s very much in place. If people are aware of the misinformation, there is at least a possibility that word will reach those who sign the kol koreis.
NAMELESS — I’m sorry that you are disturbed. Please reread my post. I did not make it sound like anyone was “coerced.” All I said is that, in the absence of some sort of “Urim V’Tumim,” the quality of a Gadol’s proclamation MAY be limited by the quality of the information upon which the decision is based.
For example, someone actually visiting Indian places of worship=reliable information, but a group of Pollard supporters who gain an audience with a Gadol and present a selective version of the facts (which may or may not have happened)=information that is not as reliable.
No one is saying that Gedolim are imperfect; just that not every proclamation of theirs may be perfect if, in fact, such proclamation does not stem from an appreciation of all of the facts.