With Friends Like These
Published in Maariv
(Israel) on 3 October 2011
by Ben Caspit (link to original)
(Israel) on 3 October 2011
by Ben Caspit (link to original)
Translated from
by Ty Kendall.
Edited by Heidi Kaufmann.
The United States epitomizes the free world because of values such as freedom, equality, justice and compassion. Where are all these values, Vice President Joe Biden, when it comes to Jonathan Pollard?
Hello and Happy Jewish New Year to you, honorable Vice President Joe Biden. Up until a few days ago, it was considered, Mr. Biden, that you were the closest true friend of Israel in the White House. As such, we in Israel are now wondering what exactly was going through your head when you declared that Jonathan Pollard would only be released from an American jail “over [your] dead body.”
It is important to us, here in Israel, to know. It's important for all of us — for Netanyahu’s supporters and his opponents, the right-wingers and left-wing activists, the rich and poor, the Ashkenazim and Sephardim. Anyone with eyes and a pulse would like to know what led you to this delusional statement. Do you know things the rest of the world doesn’t? What has changed since 2007 when you voiced a request justifying the reduction of Pollard’s sentence?
I’ll tell you what has changed since: Jonathan Pollard has sat in jail for another five years in solitary confinement, his health has continued to deteriorate (it’s worth checking, using your connections, just how much), his chances to start a family have now completely vanished, his father died without getting a chance to see him again and many people have declared that it’s time to release him. That’s what’s changed.
Could it be, our honorable Mr. Biden, that you know something that James Woolsey or Dennis DeConcini, former head of the CIA and former head of the Senate Intelligence Committee, did not know, as both of them support Pollard’s release? Do you know something that Henry Kissinger, George Schultz or John McCain don’t know? Even these famous American patriots support it too.
Why have far more serious spies served lesser sentences?
Do you, Mr. Biden, know something that the former Attorney General Michael Mukasey does not? Or something that Lawrence Korb, the deputy and close associate of the late Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger doesn’t know? Korb was there at the time, but Korb was an honest and decent man. His conscience weighed heavily on him, and today he stands at the head of those calling for Pollard’s release, as next month he will “celebrate” 26 years in an American prison.
On Wednesday, the day after tomorrow, you will arrange in your house, Mr. Biden, a special reception for American Jewish leaders in honor of Jewish New Year. You, as I already said, are considered our closest friend in Obama’s circles. Some would say that with friends like these, who needs enemies? But we are not led by statements such as these. Today, you are counted as Obama’s special ambassador to the Jewish community heading toward the elections.
On this festive occasion in your home, I suggest you ask Abe Foxman, a man whose integrity is beyond doubt, or Malcolm Hoenlein, who is not familiar with the mysteries of American politics and the secrets of the American Jewish heart, why even they now support Pollard’s swift release?
Most importantly, I ask you to stand up for yourself, against your conscience. Ask yourself, Mr. Biden, why Pollard has already served 26 years for an offense for which the average punishment in America is between two and four years in prison? Why have far more serious spies than him, who caused the deaths of American agents, served far less?
Where did the values of equality and freedom vanish to?
Ask yourself, Mr. Biden, why Pollard was tarnished with a malicious blood libel, according to which he caused the deaths of American agents? And why, even after these accusations were refuted, was his sentence not reduced? And why has the U.S. (the state of law and order) violated a plea bargain with him? And what of the limits of human suffering that they sell you? And what is the meaning of the concept of “compassion?” How is it measured?
Read the list of honorable people, the American leadership, officials, the crème de la crème calling for Pollard’s release, Mr. Biden. They all believe that his continued detention in prison is “a great injustice contrary to American values of justice.”
You are in America, Mr. Biden, leading the world not only with power and weapons. You lead the free world because of values such as freedom, equality, human rights, justice and compassion. Where is all this? Where did they go, Mr. Biden, when it comes to Pollard? Does 26 years in prison, most of it in isolation, not constitute punishment enough when it comes to a relatively minor offense, especially when the person has paid a terrible price and has expressed remorse and requests to spend the rest of his days as a free man?
Biden, it is time to repent.
To date, Mr. Vice President, you have made a name for yourself for having a sharp wit and a short fuse. On the other hand, nobody claimed that you were evil, cruel or bloodthirsty. From today onward, Mr. Biden, your loose tongue and redundant slips of the tongue have become the least of your problems. The things you said last week to Jewish rabbis in Florida about your support of leaving Pollard in prison “until his last day” raise you into a completely different league. It is a league that you don’t want to play in and a league I don’t believe you belong to.
We, the Jews, now find ourselves, Mr. Vice President, in the Ten Days of Repentance, forgiveness and atonement. If words are spoken in redundant or hasty slips of the tongue, it’s time, honorable Mr. Biden, to repent. We forgive and even forget. We all slip up from time to time, and even the vice president is allowed some mistakes. But if indeed you really mean that Jonathan Pollard will get out of prison only “over [your] dead body,” then it’s important that you know that this is likely to happen over his dead body in the end.
Jonathan Pollard’s release after 26 years in an American jail is not a political, state or security issue. He should not be attached to any topical issue at all. We in Israel, along with many of the American Jews as well as just plain good Americans, believe that the release of Jonathan Pollard is an issue of human interest, fitting for the end of 2011 so as to fulfill the values of morality, justice and compassion. These are the values of President Barack Obama’s flag, of the great American democracy and of humanity in general. And if there is justice, Joe Biden, come and help us make it happen now.
Hello and Happy Jewish New Year to you, honorable Vice President Joe Biden. Up until a few days ago, it was considered, Mr. Biden, that you were the closest true friend of Israel in the White House. As such, we in Israel are now wondering what exactly was going through your head when you declared that Jonathan Pollard would only be released from an American jail “over [your] dead body.”
It is important to us, here in Israel, to know. It's important for all of us — for Netanyahu’s supporters and his opponents, the right-wingers and left-wing activists, the rich and poor, the Ashkenazim and Sephardim. Anyone with eyes and a pulse would like to know what led you to this delusional statement. Do you know things the rest of the world doesn’t? What has changed since 2007 when you voiced a request justifying the reduction of Pollard’s sentence?
I’ll tell you what has changed since: Jonathan Pollard has sat in jail for another five years in solitary confinement, his health has continued to deteriorate (it’s worth checking, using your connections, just how much), his chances to start a family have now completely vanished, his father died without getting a chance to see him again and many people have declared that it’s time to release him. That’s what’s changed.
Could it be, our honorable Mr. Biden, that you know something that James Woolsey or Dennis DeConcini, former head of the CIA and former head of the Senate Intelligence Committee, did not know, as both of them support Pollard’s release? Do you know something that Henry Kissinger, George Schultz or John McCain don’t know? Even these famous American patriots support it too.
Why have far more serious spies served lesser sentences?
Do you, Mr. Biden, know something that the former Attorney General Michael Mukasey does not? Or something that Lawrence Korb, the deputy and close associate of the late Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger doesn’t know? Korb was there at the time, but Korb was an honest and decent man. His conscience weighed heavily on him, and today he stands at the head of those calling for Pollard’s release, as next month he will “celebrate” 26 years in an American prison.
On Wednesday, the day after tomorrow, you will arrange in your house, Mr. Biden, a special reception for American Jewish leaders in honor of Jewish New Year. You, as I already said, are considered our closest friend in Obama’s circles. Some would say that with friends like these, who needs enemies? But we are not led by statements such as these. Today, you are counted as Obama’s special ambassador to the Jewish community heading toward the elections.
On this festive occasion in your home, I suggest you ask Abe Foxman, a man whose integrity is beyond doubt, or Malcolm Hoenlein, who is not familiar with the mysteries of American politics and the secrets of the American Jewish heart, why even they now support Pollard’s swift release?
Most importantly, I ask you to stand up for yourself, against your conscience. Ask yourself, Mr. Biden, why Pollard has already served 26 years for an offense for which the average punishment in America is between two and four years in prison? Why have far more serious spies than him, who caused the deaths of American agents, served far less?
Where did the values of equality and freedom vanish to?
Ask yourself, Mr. Biden, why Pollard was tarnished with a malicious blood libel, according to which he caused the deaths of American agents? And why, even after these accusations were refuted, was his sentence not reduced? And why has the U.S. (the state of law and order) violated a plea bargain with him? And what of the limits of human suffering that they sell you? And what is the meaning of the concept of “compassion?” How is it measured?
Read the list of honorable people, the American leadership, officials, the crème de la crème calling for Pollard’s release, Mr. Biden. They all believe that his continued detention in prison is “a great injustice contrary to American values of justice.”
You are in America, Mr. Biden, leading the world not only with power and weapons. You lead the free world because of values such as freedom, equality, human rights, justice and compassion. Where is all this? Where did they go, Mr. Biden, when it comes to Pollard? Does 26 years in prison, most of it in isolation, not constitute punishment enough when it comes to a relatively minor offense, especially when the person has paid a terrible price and has expressed remorse and requests to spend the rest of his days as a free man?
Biden, it is time to repent.
To date, Mr. Vice President, you have made a name for yourself for having a sharp wit and a short fuse. On the other hand, nobody claimed that you were evil, cruel or bloodthirsty. From today onward, Mr. Biden, your loose tongue and redundant slips of the tongue have become the least of your problems. The things you said last week to Jewish rabbis in Florida about your support of leaving Pollard in prison “until his last day” raise you into a completely different league. It is a league that you don’t want to play in and a league I don’t believe you belong to.
We, the Jews, now find ourselves, Mr. Vice President, in the Ten Days of Repentance, forgiveness and atonement. If words are spoken in redundant or hasty slips of the tongue, it’s time, honorable Mr. Biden, to repent. We forgive and even forget. We all slip up from time to time, and even the vice president is allowed some mistakes. But if indeed you really mean that Jonathan Pollard will get out of prison only “over [your] dead body,” then it’s important that you know that this is likely to happen over his dead body in the end.
Jonathan Pollard’s release after 26 years in an American jail is not a political, state or security issue. He should not be attached to any topical issue at all. We in Israel, along with many of the American Jews as well as just plain good Americans, believe that the release of Jonathan Pollard is an issue of human interest, fitting for the end of 2011 so as to fulfill the values of morality, justice and compassion. These are the values of President Barack Obama’s flag, of the great American democracy and of humanity in general. And if there is justice, Joe Biden, come and help us make it happen now.
With “friends like these,” Israel has been able to continue it’s existence, at no small cost to the American people. And I would hope that at some point Israel stops it’s deliberate and quite extensive interference in US politics, helping the most corrupt and right wing Republican crooks to office in the US. And I would also hope Israel remembers that it was Democrats who made Israel possible.
Historically speaking, there is no faster way to make the people of one nation hate another faster than supporting bad government in that nation. Israel is alienating half the population of the US now and it is very shortsighted to be in league with US politicians they would never dream of allowing into leadership positions in their own countries.
When I think of Israel now, I think of Rupert Murdoch and that Saudi Prince who is his biggest shareholder behind himself. Thinking about Israel causes me to become annoyed – and I am not alone.