Rank Injustice

Jerusalem Post [Letters] - Monday, April 18, 1994

Sir,

Both the timing and the manner in which President Clinton summarily denied the motion for commutation of Jonathan Pollard's life sentence were a blow to Prime minister Rabin, to Israel, to the Jewish community and to the millions of people worldwide who had asked him to look into the matter and to address their serious and well-documented claims that a miscarriage of justice had occurred and that the sentence meted out was unduly harsh and grossly disproportionate.

Mr. Clinton chose not to address any of the serious legal concerns that were raised; he chose not to be an honest broker with Mr. Rabin, whose prestige was on the line, and he chose not to show any respect for the Jewish people on the eve of Pesach. He did not review the matter, as he promised in his election campaign. He completely ignored the growing evidence of the scapegoating of Jonathan Pollard to cover for the treasonous activities of Aldrich Ames; he did not consider at all Bobby Inman's confession that he, himself, had stemmed the legitimate flow of information to Israel in retaliation for Israel's bombing if Iraq's nuclear facilities. Rather, he chose to follow the recommendations of the very same discredited and anti-Semitic intelligence establishment which, nine years ago, conspired to put Pollard away forever.

In allowing governmental agencies to make a partisan and prejudiced decision for him, President Clinton abdicated his constitutional responsibility to remain above the fray and to evaluate the information honestly and independently.

(signed)

Esther Zeitz Pollard
Justice for Jonathan Pollard
Toronto, Canada