A communiqué was issued by the Cabinet Secretariat yesterday, (03/25/01) detailing Prime Minister Sharon's briefing of the cabinet about his recent meetings in Washington with President George W. Bush and other senior American officials.
There is no mention of Jonathan Pollard in Sharon's report to the cabinet.
Whether Sharon actually did or did not mention Jonathan Pollard in his meeting with Bush and others, two obvious conclusions can be drawn from the Cabinet Communiqué:
1) Sharon did not request Jonathan Pollard's release from Bush, or any other office
and
2) Jonathan Pollard was so inconsequential on Sharon's American agenda that Pollard does not even merit a mention in the PM's detailed report to the cabinet.
Sharon's indifference to the plight of Pollard in spite of the fact that he was a witness to the American pledge to release Jonathan Pollard as an integral part of the Wye accords is stunning. His apathy to the plight of an Israeli agent on the eve of Passover is morally reprehensible.
Last Passover Justice4JP issued a statement about how Jonathan Pollard was forced to scrub toilets on Seder night. The fact that Jonathan is now facing another punitive Passover in prison, ill and alone, seems to have made no impression on those who are morally and legally charged with securing his release.
In recent weeks, Esther Pollard has repeatedly sounded the alarm about Jonathan's failing health. Is anyone listening?
A full copy of the Cabinet Communiqué for March 25, 2001 follows:
At its weekly meeting today (Sunday), 25.3.2001:
During his U.S. meetings, Prime Minister Sharon emphasized the dangers posed by the striving of radical elements in the region - mainly Iraq and Iran - to arm themselves with non-conventional weapons and ballistic missiles.
Regarding the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, Prime Minister Sharon stressed the principle that disputes be settled by peaceful means and that violence and terrorism be abandoned. In this context, the Prime Minister referred to Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat's letter to the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin of 9.9.93 in which he points out that the PLO rejects the use of terrorism and other forms of violence, and accepts upon himself the responsibility for the actions of his people in order to uphold this obligation and punish those who break the law.
Prime Minister Sharon made it clear that while Israel is committed to peace, contacts for peace will take place without the pressure of terrorism and violence. The Prime Minister similarly made it clear to his American interlocutors that his government strives to distinguish between dealing with terrorist elements and easing restrictions on populations that are not involved with terrorism.
During his trip, Prime Minister Sharon enhanced his personal relationship with U.S. President Bush, senior administration officials, leading members of Congress and American Jewish community leaders.
Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. David Ivri will coordinate the bilateral strategic cooperation dialogue. The US's commitment to Israel and its security remains strong and is based on shared interests and values.
Prime Minister Sharon expressed his opposition to an international observer force as part of Israel's opposition to the internationalization of the conflict and in accordance with the principle that there can be no reward for violence.
Prime Minister Sharon noted that he had raised the issue of Israel's POWs and MIAs with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, both of whom promised to help.
Prime Minister Sharon clarified the importance of relations with Egypt and Egypt's role vis-a-vis regional peace, and stressed that Israel is interested in maintaining the peace and improving relations with Egypt. The Prime Minister noted that while in the U.S., he held no discussions on the issue of American aid to Egypt.
Inspector-General Aharonishki briefed the Cabinet on: 1) the neutralization of a car-bomb in Jerusalem's Mea Shearim neighborhood last Wednesday, 2) car-bombs in Jerusalem since November 2000 and 3) the murder of Kibbutz Manara's security coordinator.
Inspector-General Aharonishki devoted a considerable portion of his briefing to the latest violent crime wave in Israel. On this issue, Prime Minister Sharon stated that violence in Israeli society - in the family, among young people and in schools - is a national blight and a harsh and disturbing social phenomenon. The Cabinet approved the Prime Minister's proposal to form a ministerial committee on the struggle against violence, to be headed by Minister Shmuel Avital. The committee will - inter alia - monitor the scope and characteristics of violence and crime, prepare a comprehensive national plan on the struggle against
all aspects of violence, and coordinate among the various law enforcement bodies, the courts, schools and social services on the issue. The committee will also consider the need for changes in legislation and in the implementation of existing legislation in order to step up the struggle against violence and crime.