Eitan has Pollard document, spy's wife says

April 3, 2006 - JTA

The head of Israels Pensioner Party has a document that could win Jonathan Pollards release, according to the wife of the convicted spy.

Rafi Eitan "has in his personal possession a document, a major bargaining chip in negotiations for Jonathans release," Esther Pollard wrote Thursday in the online version of Ma'ariv. "He has held the only copy of it for 21 years. The recovery of this document would be invaluable to the Americans, as it would permit them to finally wrap up the case once and for all." Eitan was the Mossad official who handled Pollard 20 years ago, before the former U.S. Navy analyst pleaded guilty to spying for Israel and was sentenced to life.

Former U.S. intelligence officials who support Pollard's life sentence cite as one justification Israel's failure to return all the documents he stole, a charge Israel vehemently denies. Eitan shocked Israel by winning seven seats in this weeks elections, running on a pensioners rights platform.