Mrs. Jonathan Pollard Responds to Wall Street Journal

Dear Sir,

Re: "Ethnicity Is No Excuse For Espionage" by E.V. Kontorovich (Wall Street Journal OpEd, May 6, 1998)

In the above OpEd , E.V. Kontorovich uses the unprecedented display of Jewish unity on the issue of EQUAL JUSTICE for Jonathan Pollard as a means to castigate Israel and the Jewish community.

In doing so, he damages my husband's case by distorting some facts and inventing others to suit his own questionable purpose.

It is a fact that Kontorovich distorted the content of his brief telephone contact with my husband. All of Jonathan's prison telephone calls are monitored and taped.

The taped record reveals that Kontorovich was not willing to discuss the case with Jonathan. Instead, Kontorovich launched a bizarre, near-hysterical attack on Jonathan, replete with cursing, swearing, wishing death upon Jonathan, and topped off by lewd, sexually-inappropriate remarks.

While screaming at Jonathan, Kontorovich kept loudly insisting on his own patriotism, as if it were under scrutiny. The attack was so stunning and so bizarre that those who were made aware of it at the time will never forget it.

Kontorovich's claim that Jonathan is unremorseful is a blatant lie. Over the years Jonathan has made numerous written and oral statements consistently expressing his heartfelt remorse. He has always made it clear that while his concern for Israel remains constant, he deeply regrets having acted upon it by breaking the law. He is equally clear in stating that if he had to act on his concern for Israel again, he would find a legal means to do so.

Jonathan did not benefit financially from his activities on behalf of Israel as Kontorovich contends. This fact was recognized by the sentencing judge who did not impose a fine on Jonathan, as is routine in all espionage cases where the accused is found to have benefited financially.

Kontorovich dismisses the grossly disproportionate sentence that Jonathan received. Jonathan is the only person in the history of the USA to receive a life sentence for spying for an ally. He received his sentence without benefit of trial, and as the result of a broken plea agreement. His appeal was turned down on a technicality. The Supreme Court then refused to hear the case.

Appellate Court Justice Steven Williams wrote in his minority opinion that the Pollard case constitutes "a complete and gross miscarriage of justice."

The American Justice system has failed Jonathan at every step of the way. It is precisely for cases like this, that the President of the United States is granted special constitutional powers to act independently to safeguard the rights of all citizens. Kontorovich's twisted tirade against Israel and the Jewish community for advocating such relief is beneath contempt.

Clearly an issue that is so compelling that it has brought unity to an otherwise diverse and fragmented community merits serious investigation, and not the vitriol of a self-proclaimed pundit who pits himself against everyone.

Esther Pollard
(Mrs. Jonathan Pollard)