Reports on Friday emerged that the Obama Administration has plans to release Jonathan Pollard, sentenced to life in prison for spying for Israel, to the Israeli government as part of the multi-billion dollar package aimed at placating the Netanyahu government after the Iran deal.
Israeli officials today say they’ll be glad to take Pollard, who they’ve long sought, but that the administration shouldn’t get their hopes up that it’ll change Israel’s stance, and that they plan to keep condemning the Iran nuclear deal with the P5+1 irrespective of how many goodies they get from the US.
Israel has sought Pollard’s release for decades, and Israel’s far-right has treated him as a great hero to the nation. Israeli officials have openly suggested in the past that they were willing to trade diplomatic concessions, usually related to the Palestinian peace process, for Pollard. Now that the US has something they actually want, Israel doesn’t seem to be on board.
Former Israeli Ambassador to the US Michael Oren confirmed that Pollard has been considered a diplomatic chip since the 1990s, but suggested Israel wants to keep that tied to minor concessions in renewing peace talks with the Palestinians.
A notorious Navy special intel opt. A spy. No release for a traitor. He never was a USA citizen really
And what guarantees does Obama get for handing them that criminal that they won't blow up Iran anyway? netenyahoo's word?
Punishment for treason against America is rewarded with Jewish heroism!
His mother once said if he did it….he had a good reason. Immg?
If that is the position of the rogue state of Israel, call the del off and throw the keys away.
Let Mr. Pollard rot in prison like the traitor he is, and let the Israeli's deal with our deal with Iran. They don't need placating nor colddling. They need a swift kick in the backside, be told to quit their whining and have a total cutting of the aid cord and be left to fend for themselves.
This would have been a whole lot simpler if the US had just executed this turd in the first place. It would have served two purposes: it would have informed the Israelis that if their spies are caught, they will get the same treatment, and it would have saved the US taxpayer a boatload of money to keep this scumbag alive.
Thus, Israel gets something for nothing.
Israel will have then a peace partner. They haven't found that . Pollard will be their peace partner for talks with Palestinian and Syrian . Noble prize winners want him released also. ( http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/26/world/middleeas…
Next time Noble Committee will categorically ask their winners to stay away from supporting convicted criminals or they would lose their prize – be defrocked .
If Israel won't bargain for Pollard, why not trade him to the Iranians for all those Americans Republicans in Congress are complaining Obama has abandoned by not including in the Iran deal? Then Israel will have to come down to forging their own agreement with Iran in order to get Pollard back. Let's see Republicans in Congress complain about that!
There should have at least been a trade. The Israelis get to take possession one Jewish-American traitor but we get to save one honorable Israeli who helped blow the whistle on Israel's secret nuclear bomb factory. That heroic man is Mordechia Vanunu, who spent 18 years in solitary confinement in Israel for revealing the truth. Unlike Pollard–who betrayed his country and took money for his treachery–Vanunu has been almost entirely forgotten, even though he jeopardized the safety of no one.
What a deal, exchange Pollard for fake talks.