Letter to President Bill Clinton & Prime Minister Peres From Esther Pollard

November 21, 1995

Dear President Clinton and Prime Minister Peres,

Today marks the completion of ten full years of incarceration for my husband, Jonathan Pollard.

On three occasions, the late prime Minister of Israel, Yitzhak Rabin, personally appealed to President Clinton to show clemency to my husband and release him to emigrate to Israel. Mr. Rabin signaled his intention to purse and complete the resolution of this festering wound between the two nations in his subsequent meeting with the President, but his tragic assassination cut short his noble aspirations, and our hope as well.

I appeal to you, President Clinton and Prime Minister Peres, in the merit of our late Prime Minister, to honour his memory by bringing closure to his long-sought initiative to secure the release of Jonathan Pollard.

By joining hands now, and acting in unison to free Jonathan Pollard now, upon the tenth anniversary of his imprisonment, a message of unity and strength would be created to honour the memory of Prime Minister Rabin. This would be a significant confidence-building measure for the people of Israel and the American Jewish Community. It would be a sign of both nations' commitment to jointly continuing the peace process so dear to the heart of our late Prime Minister.

Jonathan's immediate return to Israel would be a consoling gesture to the People of Israel and to the American Jewish Community. who are all in mourning at this time.

Mr. President and Mr. Prime Minister, I implore you to act now.

Esther Pollard