Response to "Hope of Pollard's Release" in Yediot Today

This main front page headline in Yediot Achronot, Israel's largest circulation newspaper this morning declared" Hope of Pollard's Release in Return for Disengagement"

Justice4JP urges the public not to be taken in by this cynical spin. It has nothing to do with Jonathan and a lot to do with promoting the disengagement plan and drawing attention away from other issues, such as the dismal failure of Sharon's meeting with President Bush. Sharon himself confirmed that he never raised the issue of Jonathan Pollard with President Bush.

The Jerusalem-based Committee To Bring Jonathan Pollard Home which spearheads the grassroots campaign for Pollard in Israel immediately released the following statement to the media, which J4JP endorses. [Translation by J4JP]:

THE COMMITTEE TO BRING JONATHAN POLLARD HOME

Response to Media Reports of Hope from the Prime Minster's' office that Pollard will be Released in Return for Disengagement.

Media Release - April 15, 2005:

We have no faith in media reports such as these which we have seen countless times before. Whenever a new political deal threatens the to tear the nation apart or calls into question the propriety of the Prime Minister's office, suddenly some new promise is flashed in the media that Pollard may be released in return for the odious deal. This is simply spin, and here is why:

1. If there were any honest or serious intention to release Pollard, he would have been on the Prime Minister's plane and on his way to Israel by now, as a gesture to the Jewish Nation for Passover, The Holiday of Freedom.

2. If there were any serious intention to secure Pollard's release, the Israeli Government would not be trumpeting it in the media now, before it actually occurs. The only thing that this kind of fanfare does is to provoke enemies of the case in American intelligence circles and stir them to action to prevent it.

3. If there were any honest intent to free Pollard, his release would be immediate, not some vague promise for months down the road.

It appears that Sharon is simply exploiting media spin about hope for Pollard's release, in order to relax current opposition to the disengagement plan. When Pollard is not released, months from now Sharon will remind us that, after all, Pollard's release was just "a hope", not a promise.

Sharon's spin and his failure to secure Jonathan's release are intolerable. We will not be pacified with empty promises. We remind the public of the following compelling facts:

• Jonathan Pollard's freedom was bought and paid for at Wye. His release was promised to Israel by President Clinton at Wye in return for the release of numerous prisoners, many with blood on their hands. Israel paid the price; the US has yet to deliver. There is no reason to keep buying Pollard's release over and over again. It is time to collect it.
• Casper Weinberger, the Former Secretary of Defense, who was responsible for driving Pollard's life sentence, is on record that the case against Pollard was blown up and exaggerated beyond its actual importance to serve other political purposes. Israel has yet to act upon this shocking revelation.
• Pollard has already served 20 years in prison - far longer than anyone else in the US for a similar offense. The media sentence is 2 to 4 years.
• Dennis Ross, Special Envoy to the Middle East during the Clinton administration, wrote in a recently published book "The Missing Peace" that he agrees, that from a standpoint of justice Pollard should have been freed without strings. Never the less, he advised the President not to free him at Wye because Pollard is simply too valuable as a bargaining chip with Israel for much higher stakes. This is nothing more than holding Pollard hostage to extort concessions from Israel

Conclusion: In light of the above, The Committee To Bring Jonathan Pollard Home calls upon the public to intensify efforts and participation in activities demanding Jonathan's release, especially at this time. We have no intention of allowing Government disinformation to undermine our efforts. We will not rest until Jonathan is safely home among us.

For more information on upcoming activities: www.freepollard.org
For English: www.jonathanpollard.org