For the First Time in Years: Israeli Official Will Visit Pollard

A strong force is now behind the campaign to free Pollard: Minister of Social Affairs and Communications Moshe Kahlon is expected to arrive at the prison, which has housed the Jewish spy for 25 years, and to pass on to Pollard a message from the Prime Minister of Israel. The visit, being coordinated by Netanyahu, received the green light from American authorities. Israelis are hopeful that Pollard’s health will not infringe on finalizing the meeting.

An Israeli official will finally get the chance to visit, for the first time in many years, the Israeli spy Jonathon Pollard. Minister of Social Affairs Moshe Kahlon received permission to visit Pollard in prison; however, the current issue revolves around Pollard’s weak physical condition as he has been detained in prison since 1985.

According to reports released tonight from Channel 2 News, Prime Minister Netanyahu has arranged a prison visit and will send a message, via Kahlol, that he is obligated to take action toward freeing Pollard. At the beginning of this year, the prime minister sent President Obama a letter in which he issued a request to free Pollard. “I respectfully ask that you favorably consider this request for clemency. The people of Israel will be eternally grateful,” wrote Netanyahu.

Sources close to the family expressed concern tonight that the visit with Minister Kahlon may be canceled at the last moment due to Pollard’s frail state of health. He was recently hospitalized a number of times and has even undergone surgery. Esther Pollard, Jonathon’s wife, is worried about his wellbeing. “I fear that his physical condition and progress he has made may go down the drain. I am pleading at a time that it is clear to everyone that further imprisonment is unjustified. Save him before it is too late!” his wife said.

Yesterday there was a significant achievement for the campaign to release the Israeli spy, when it became known that Dr. Henry Kissinger, who served as secretary of state under President Ford and the national security advisor of President Nixon, turned to Obama this past weekend calling for Jonathon Pollard to be set free.

“I believe justice would be served by commuting the remainder of Pollard's sentence of life imprisonment,” Kissinger wrote.

Kissinger notes in his letter: “I would have written this letter sooner but for a long trip abroad, from which I have just returned. While I was gone, I gave much thought to the question of clemency for Jonathan Pollard. At first I felt I did not have enough information to render a reasoned and just opinion. But having talked with George Shultz and read the statements of former CIA Director Woolsey, former Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman DeConcini, former Defense Secretary Weinberger, former Attorney General Mukasey and others whose judgments and first-hand knowledge I respect, I find their unanimous support for clemency compelling.”

American officials working to free Pollard expressed great optimism regarding Kissinger’s letter. “The words of Dr. Kissinger best illustrate that current accessible information unequivocally demonstrates that the continued detainment of Pollard in prison is not justice being served, rather on the contrary. We hope that just as Kissinger and many other officials have, so will Obama further investigate the calls to grant Pollard clemency, and will ultimately agree that this case demands for Obama to use the authority he has to grant a pardon.”*

Joining the lineup of former U.S. officials, about a month ago, was former Vice President Dan Quayle, who asserted, “Pollard's punishment is most exaggerated relative to the crime he committed.”

*Editor's note: This quote, while accurately translated, could not be verified.