HaRav Mordecai Eliyahu to Mayor of Jerusalem:
Grant Pollard Special Status on Yom Yerushalayim

Justice4JP Release May 24, 2006
Translated to English by J4JP

Click here to see the original Hebrew letter.


Office of Rabbi Mordecai Eliyahu
Former Chief Rabbi of Israel & Richon LeTzion

B"H 25 Iyar 5766
Day Forty of Counting Forty-Nine 5-9674.06

To
HaRav Uri Lupliansky (HY"N)
Mayor of The City of Jerusalem

HaShalom v'habracha, (Peace and blessing!)

Re: The Yom Yerushalayim Rally and the Mitzvah of Pidyan Shvuyim for Jonathan Pollard (HY"N)

His Honor the Rishon LeTzion, HaRav HaGaon Mordecai Eliyahu shlita, has asked me to contact Your Honor urgently to make a great request of you to assist in repaying, in the most minimal way, a debt of gratitude that is owed to Prisoner of Zion, Jonathan Pollard, (HY"N) by granting him special status as an Honored Citizen of Jerusalem at the Yom Yerushalayim rally which is to take place on Thursday at the Kotel Ha'Maaravi. Your Honor knows of the special relationship that His Honor the Rishon LeTzion has with Jonathan. This close relationship began 17 years ago and continues to this day. His Honor the Rishon LeTzion visits Jonathan in prison every time he travels to the United States.

The State of Israel benefited from the service of Jonathan Pollard and received enormous good from him. It is incumbent upon us to repay this good in kind. It is our moral duty not to abandon him and to do everything to secure his release.

It is clear that that the request from His Honor the Rishon LeTzion is extraordinary, but the circumstances which motivate it are absolutely unique. Jonathan is an Israeli hero who is in mortal danger; after 21 years of incarceration in harsh conditions his life now hangs in the balance. This gesture towards him (granting him Honored Citizen status) will be a boost of encouragement for him and for the Nation, and it will certainly give him the strength to carry on a little longer until his release, may it come speedily, amain ken yihi ratzon!

Mrs. Esther Pollard (MB"T), Jonathan's wife, is in the Land and fighting on his behalf tirelessly day in day out, hour after hour and all of this in continuous consultation with His Honor the Rishon LeTzion. Mrs. Pollard would be very pleased to receive the Honored Citizen Certificate on behalf of her husband at the rally.

Moreover, His Honor The Rishon LeTzion suggests that it would be fitting as well if Your Honor would announce at the same ceremony that he is also bestowing upon Jonathan Pollard the status of Yakir Yerushalayim.*

I bless you that the desire of HaShem in your hand shall be successful. May G-d be with you in all you do!

with blessing and all goodness,

(signed on behalf of Rav Mordecai Eliyahu)

HaRav Shmuel Zafrani
Rosh HaLishka (Bureau Chief)

  • See Also: Hebrew text: Original copy of HaRav Eliyahu's appeal to Mayor of Jerusalem
  • *J4JP Note:

    Every year the city of Jerusalem honors a select group of citizens who are deemed to have made a special contribution to the city by bestowing upon them the title of Yakir Yerushalyim ("Treasured Jerusalemite"; or "Worthy Jerusalemite"). This title is an honor separate and apart from the title of Honored Citizen which any city may bestow. Jonathan has already received Honored Citizen status from a number of other Israeli cities. Such gestures are first and foremost expressions of support and solidarity. There is nothing to prevent Mayor Luplianski from granting both Honored Citizen status and Yakir Yerushalayim status to Jonathan Pollard at the Yom Yerushalyim rally on Thursday 25 May. It would be a minimal gesture on the part of the Jerusalem municipality that would mean a great deal to Jonathan and to the Nation, and which would cost the city absolutely nothing.