Israel “completed” its third stage of prisoner releases today, freeing 26 Palestinian prisoners, and giving themselves an excuse for another announced settlement expansion later this week.
The real story, however, was that Israel reneged on other forthcoming releases, announcing that a number of the agreed to detainees were later discovered to have Israeli ID cards.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did say he was open to releasing those detainees, like they were supposed to, but only if the United States agrees to trade them convicted spy Jonathan Pollard.
Israeli officials went on to claim that they felt “deceived” by Secretary of State John Kerry on the releases, and were never told that the list included Arabs with Israeli ID cards.
Netanyahu is reportedly planning to continue with the April release, but will release a totally different group of people than what was agreed to, and has the Prison Services coming up with lists of Arabs without ID cards they can exile to Gaza or the West Bank.
Execute Pollard. The government can move to reconsider a sentence, and it ought to.
"But will release a totally different group of people than what was agreed to." Yeah, and the Israelis will start picking them up tomorrow for no other reason than that they can be released in April.
Israel is desperate to get Pollard released before his sentence ends so that it tell future spies, "We always get you off. We run America." It is bad policy to enable traitors.
When Pollard's extraordinarily mild sentence has run its course he should not be allowed out of the country. The hundreds of deaths of US Intel assets he caused are far more serious than Mordechai Vanunu's trivial crime of telling the world what the world knew, that Israel has nuclear weapons. He is not permitted to leave Israel.
Bibi could lead by example by letting Vanunu migrate but he will not because he posits in all matters, two laws – one for Jews and another for mere Goyim, that is, cattle – you and me. This core of Zionism, Racism, can not be condoned. Pollard and American security can not be bartered away.
Damn right. That's why it's a matter of the highest priority of the state of Israel to have him released. No more Americans will betray the United States on behalf of Israel while he's still in jail.
Free Pollard! Encourage traitors.
I totally agree with you. Pollard did more damage to the US than any other spy/traitor, since the Rosenbergs back in the late 40's; and, they gave the atom bomb secrets to Soviet agents, which led to the USSR developing this weapon.
Pollard sold Israeli agents the codes to top secret military systems; Israel turned around and sold them to the USSR; and, as a result, numerous CIA assets throughout the Iron Curtain were arrested, interrogated, and then executed. And, Bibi has the gall to DEMAND Pollard's release and transport to Israel??!! Not today; not tomorrow; not ever.
Note to Bibi: Don't you ever tell us what to do; we're sovereign; and, Pollard is going to stay where he is (and belongs) – behind bars until he meets his Creator.
The title says everything you need to know about Israel – it reneges on all deals not in its favor. Why does the US keep playing this game of charades?
Wouldn't the Israelis, who know everything anyway, know which Israeli Arabs they have in their slammers? Having an Israeli ID, while it may not make one a citizen, will make an Arab a 'traitor'. Surprised by Kerry? Hardly!
Israel just denied another request for the release of Mordechai Vanunu, whose only crime – from which he did not profit – was to reveal Israel's nuclear weapons program. Not details of it, just its existence. Pollard, who spied for years, caused loss of lives and provided technological secrets in exchange for money, and complained he wasn't getting enough. If Vanunu is released, Israel should get Pollard's body after he completes his life sentence.
It's simply not believable that no one was aware that Arabs in Israeli prisons had Israeli ID cards in their wallets. Had the jailers not looked at the materials in their possession prior to plans for release? If the only record of the ID was offsite, couldn't they just delete the files, destroy the records? This is a "dog ate my homework" style excuse.
It's no surprise that Israel is reneging on their agreements. It's hard to think of one they've kept.
One article here says the deal is on, then this one says no. The prisoners are few, have been in prison over twenty years; thousands of real prisoners are held all the time. Being in the WB or Gaza is also imprisonment. Israel wants all, for no payment, and to be praised by the world for their kindness.
Israel has a servant at the whore house and he knows he can demand anything from a servant. Obama was promoted by zionist money as a petty servant.
What a shock. Israel reneges on a promise. Go figure. And this latest foolishness about wanting Jonathan Pollard released is nothing more than a stunt to show up America, yet again. Perhaps our U.S. intelligence community needs to respond again like it did under President Clinton. In a rare moment, the intelligence community went public. Pollard is a traitor and should remain locked up.
Free Pollard and you encourage others to betray their nations. If one listens to many they expect someone to give more to Israel than the United States. Maybe we should reevaluate dual citizenship. Israel already will not allow dual citizens in some of their military jobs. I guess they understand the damage a traitor can do.
President Obama, Why not propose to trade Pollard for a complete termination of all forms of aid to Israel forever? The world will then know where Israel's loyalties really lie.