"Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu sent a letter Tuesday to President Obama, formally asking for the release of Jonathan Jay Pollard, the American sentenced to life in prison in 1987 for spying for Israel in a case that shook U.S.-Israeli relations." Washpost
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I take this as Israel's formal acknowledgment that Pollard is their spy, a formerly American Jew whom the state of Israel employed as an espionage agent against the country of his citizenship and birth.
I have no objection to releasing him on that basis. He should NOT be pardoned. He should be released to the government of Israel on the same basis that we used to release Soviet spies to them. Colonel Rudolf Abel was exchanged for Gary Francis Powers. What could the Israelis give us in return for their spy Pollard? Perhaps they could give us the names of their other agents in DoD, the ones that gave them the names and serial numbers of documents that Pollard was then tasked to steal.
Pollard is now an Israeli national hero. The Knesset declared him to be such and gave him their citizenship.
If he is released he should be barred from ever entering the United States again. pl
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/04/AR2011010405612.html
I doubt anything of value is being offered in exchange for Pollard. Not even the release of Mordechai Vanunu so he can leave the country. Not even a sham three month suspension of illegal settlement construction.
Posted by: jon | 05 January 2011 at 10:55 AM
Surely the suggestion that the Israelis might reveal their other US sources in DoD was meant in jest, with the point of keeping in the public eye the fact that there were evidently other such sources.
They might, however, be induced to exchange Mordechai Vanunu for Pollard...
Posted by: Forrest | 05 January 2011 at 12:13 PM
Seems to me that the Israeli Knesset's declaration that Pollard is a hero is a direct insult to the US and whether or not he is released, we need to completely re-look our relationship with Israel. In fact, we need to rethink our overall strategic approach in international affairs - start with George Washington's Farewell Address and take it from there to breathe new life into a sound, balanced approach, distanced from blind "emotional" ties.
Posted by: Stanley Henning | 05 January 2011 at 01:28 PM
I am all for a spy swap! How about the Israeli's coming clean with the USS Liberty as a swap for its national hero? That would be worth the exchange...
Posted by: Jake | 05 January 2011 at 01:36 PM
I think he should be sent to Israel in a coffin.
Posted by: Matthew | 05 January 2011 at 01:58 PM
You're nicer than I am; I say that he should serve out his sentence.
I think it highly unlikely that Israel would offer -- or perhaps even have -- anything that should tempt us in this matter.
Posted by: Allen Thomson | 05 January 2011 at 03:01 PM
Why not send him back the way the Zionists are dealing with the Palestinian "problem." Piecemeal.
Posted by: PirateLaddie | 05 January 2011 at 03:39 PM
He should stay in prison, unless there is truly a swap of very real value. Otherwise, its just American bending over once again.
Posted by: Castellio | 05 January 2011 at 03:59 PM
Israel will offer nothing in exchange for Pollard. They are demanding it as a demonstration of good will by Obama. Nor will Obama seek Vanunu because that would be to cast a critical eye on the Israeli nuclear weapons stockpike, something that Washington just does not do. I agree that Pollard should spend the rest of his miserable life in prison.
Posted by: Phil Giraldi | 05 January 2011 at 03:59 PM
A few months ago, when the Israelis offered (I think) a 6-month settlement freeze in return for Pollard, someone proposed asking for a 3-month freeze in return for half of Pollard (and the Israelis could get to choose which half).
I would find that approach compelling. It's not that I'm particularly bloodthirsty as such - just that I think there is a fundamental misunderstanding in the US-Israeli relationship that needs to be cleared up at some point. They think we're a bunch of pushovers and patsies...and this would be a relatively low-cost way to let them know that we're not (or alternatively and depressingly, to confirm that we are, I suppose).
Posted by: PeterHug | 05 January 2011 at 04:22 PM
We'll get a 'temporary' halt to settlement construction and a 'temporary' halt to spying (as in they won't steal anything over the weekend).
Why did the Bush administration let the Isreali Prime Minister visit in prison with a man convicted of spying on the USA?
"In Netanyahu's first term in the late 1990s, he officially recognized Pollard as an Israeli agent and later visited him in prison in 2002. "
Posted by: Fred | 05 January 2011 at 04:37 PM
What am I missing here?
I do not understand what difference this letter makes.
What difference does it make what Israel thinks or does in connection with Pollard?
His betrayal was a betrayal of us.
Didn't his actions lead to the death of agents recruited by us? What could Israel give us in exchange for him that could be worth having? They can keep their empty promises, so what's left?
Let Pollard continue to stay where he belongs.
Posted by: jerseycityjoan | 05 January 2011 at 04:40 PM
How about a done deal on a Palestinian state in exchange for sending Pollard to Israel.
Per Steve Clemons: http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/01/04/price_for_jonathan_pollards_release_should_be_a_do/#more
Posted by: Margaret Steinfels | 05 January 2011 at 05:10 PM
I'm with Mr Thomson, Israel has nothing worth trading.
Posted by: BillWade | 05 January 2011 at 05:11 PM
I'm afraid I do not agree that we should consider an admission of complicity in the Liberty episode as a trade for Pollard. We need to stop right here and quit giving in to people who could not care less how they insult us, but merely desire to use us. We need to realize what they are and keep them at a distance - and, considering our economic situation, we need to quit giving them stuff while we go down the tube.
Posted by: Stanley Henning | 05 January 2011 at 05:50 PM
This will hurt American national security. Imagine if every Israeli firster thought it righteous to spy for Israel in the hope that Knesset will declare them national heroes. They will have no problem living in Israel for the rest of their lives.
Posted by: Anthony | 05 January 2011 at 06:33 PM
I propose a trade whereby they give us our Congress back in exchange for Pollard.
On second thought, it might be cheaper to keep just one guy in jail, rather than all 538.
Posted by: elkern | 05 January 2011 at 06:42 PM
To heck with it, as a 'reward' for Israel's continued insults and their putting U.S. in harms way with their schmucks like Pollard, let's turn Israel into a parking lot.
Posted by: J | 05 January 2011 at 07:21 PM
Peter Hug writes "They think we're a bunch of pushovers and patsies."
Wake me up when you have evidence to the contrary.
Posted by: Castellio | 05 January 2011 at 07:23 PM
My!My! Such a blood thirsty lot of brave patriots you all are.
I bet for 90% of you posters, the closest you ever came to military service was playing soldier when you where 5 years old.
Don't despair though, just go on down to Walmart and buy a Brown Shirt, and goose step around until your little bad ass heart is content.
Hell, if you play your cards right, someday you might even get into one of Admiral Mullin's new "Pink Beret" units. But they won't get to shoot many Jews. Mostly they will just pull Presidential guard duty.
Posted by: Highlander | 05 January 2011 at 07:49 PM
Because Jonathan Pollard was clearly a spy, no American politician with any concern for his career or reputation could ever possibly pardon him. Perhaps Israel persists in its request not out of any hope to have him freed, but to demonstrate to their other agents that they do not abandon their own, or to win points with their electorate (as American politicians win points with their electorate by refusing to free Pollard). I recall that when Bill Clinton was governor of Arkansas but running for president, a convict on death row appealed for clemency: it was clear to me that no governor running for president would even consider countermanding a death sentence, an act which would be attacked as being soft on crime. A lot of convicts have probably paid dearly for the cynical use made of Willie Horton by Republicans in attacking Gov. Michael Dukakis as soft.
Posted by: Stephen Sossaman | 05 January 2011 at 09:03 PM
Isn't this a big thank you from Lieberman and his fellow Russian Zionists? Correct me if i'm wrong, but didn't Israel turn around and trade Pollard's data to the Russians, in exchange for allowing Russian Jews to emigate?
Americans need to be reminded what Pollard did, and how he, and Israel in turn, sold us out. Then, Obama needs to say 'no' to Israel for once.
Posted by: Roy G | 05 January 2011 at 09:05 PM
He's an American, who is a traitor to his country. Let's just keep him here, safe and sound. Israel would never offer anything of substance, anyway.
Posted by: Jackie | 05 January 2011 at 09:57 PM
Even a whiff of a possibility that Pollard may be released is deeply offensive to me. The Israelis have no business asking. The man committed treason against the United States. He knowingly injured the United States in a grievous way.
On the other hand, there is no other hand.
Posted by: John Waring | 05 January 2011 at 11:06 PM
Castellio,You took the thought out of my head.Elkern ,you are so right.How about this.Pollard will be part of a divorce settlement.We give you Pollard and you agree to never contact us again .You are so clever figure out how to deal with the Arabs on your own.And by the way we do not need you to help us to defend our country.
Posted by: Phil Cattar | 05 January 2011 at 11:10 PM