Several Israeli experts in the US-Israel relationship are in agreement today that the upcoming release of convicted spy Jonathan Pollard will “do nothing” to improve the ties between the two nations, despite decades of Israel demanding Pollard’s release.
The Texas-born Pollard was a civilian employee of the US Navy, and was sentenced to life in prison for passing classified data to the Israeli government. According to Pollard’s wife, he viewed spying for Israel as a “moral obligation” because he is Jewish. Israel made him a citizen in the 1990s, after he’d already served years in prison.
Analysts say they believe Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu has so heavily invested in railing against the P5+1 nuclear deal with Iran, and blaming the US for that deal, that even Pollard simply dwarfs this issue. The initial reports on Pollard’s release suggested the Obama Administration was doing so primarily to placate Netanyahu.
Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has reiterated his opposition to releasing Pollard this week, referring back to his 2001 memo and a 1998 letter warning releasing a high-profile spy would undermine efforts to keep spies out of the government.
His wife said because he was Jewish and a USA citizen he had an obligation and felt he must spy for Israel. Wow do the senators and congress and SC feel the same way? This is treason and death is the penalty
Which is why there's no point in releasing this piece of excrement. Let him rot in jail where he belongs.
A released Pollard should be required to live in a half way house for an extended period of time and not be allowed to leave the United States. He may still have secrets. National security would be at risk were the Mossad allowed to debrief him.
As for giving Israel anything it is a waste. It will not be enough. It is never enough. Haters always hate. Their animosity towards the Other is the world's oldest, uninterrupted Hatred.
Perhaps there could be an "accident" in the prison and then they could just ship the body to Netanyahoo to dispose of himself. These things happen all the time. You know, some kind of septic infection where they have to amputate…his head or something like that. Solve all kinds of problems for the US. He's just a piece of sh!t anyway – should have been executed 30 years ago.