Knesset Members: Pollard Was Glad to See Us.

May 19, 2000 - Yediot Achronot - Eitan Amit

"Jonathan Pollard was glad to see us, and he thanked us for making a special trip to visit him." This was part of the report of the two-hour meeting that 3 Knesset Members had with Pollard this week.

"Mentally, emotionally, he is in good spirits." This is what Yediot learned from M.K.s Rechavam Ze'evi , Dani Naveh, and Yuli Edelstein who visited with Pollard yesterday at FCI Butner, in North Carolina.

They said that Pollard was happy to see Rechavam Ze'evi, whom he met for the first time. (Both Naveh and Edelstein have visited Pollard previously in their former roles as Cabinet Secretary, and and Minister of Immigration, respectively.) "I have heard of all you have done for me throughout the years," Pollard told Ze'evi, " and I deeply appreciate it."

The Knesset Member delegation came as representatives of the Knesset Lobby for Pollard. (A fourth member of the delegation, One Israel Party coalition whip Ofir Pines, was unable to make the trip because of coalition issues and scheduling problems.)

The Knesset Members had to sign a paper obliging them not to raise sensitive issues ( i.e. classified material) in the course of their visit, or the visit would be terminated. To ensure this, the visit was monitored by a US intelligence official.

Responding to their question as to what they could do for him, Pollard said: "Given the current political climate, a serious request to Clinton from Barak would secure my release. Barak can and must do it. Now."

Pollard said that Clinton has recently agreed to a private meeting with Congressman Gary Ackerman to discuss the issue of granting him clemency. "This is the first time that Clinton has agreed to meet with anyone about this issue," Pollard said.