Letter from an American Citizen

J4JPnews - January 21, 2009

J4JP thanks the many fine people who have been emailing to express their support and concern for Jonathan. Most people express their dismay, that even after enduring 24 years in some of the worst prison conditions in America there is no openness about why precisely Jonathan Pollard was singled out for such harsh treatment nor is their any willingness, even at this late date, to correct the injustice. Ex-President Bush's refusal to commute Jonathan Pollard's sentence to time-served came as a blow to the the solar plexus of all people of good conscience. The letter below is a example of the kind of email we have been receiving. It is reprinted with permission of the author.

On Wed, Jan 21, 2009 at 6:52 PM, JR wrote:

I have believed that the United States system of Justice was fair and sought the truth no matter who was involved. Sadly, I now realize that I was overlooking facts that should have alerted me to the situation. Jonathan Pollard has been a pawn in a power play between Israel and the United States. Israel is an Ally of the United States, and he passed information he learned from his work in US Intelligence department. He acted as a spy, since his superiors did not authorize release of the information. However, only Pollard has been imprisoned for so long compared to individuals , who acted as a spy for countries not friendly to the United States. There has been little explanation for the harsh treatment he receives. The question that should be answered "What was the information he passed on to Israel"? Why after all these many years is the United States unwilling to explain the supposed harm to the security of the United States he caused?

Left in the dark we make up our own explanations. The State Department of the United States has it's own agenda, and is using Pollard's imprisonment to show that Israel is not favored over the Arab countries. It needs to convince Arab oil producing countries that the United States does not support Israel in it's fight with the Palestinians. The remarks of President Bush claiming to provide support for Israel's continued existence is just window dressing. The failure to pardon Jonathan is proof that the State Department rules our government. Ex-President Bush needs to be asked to explain his actions to the United States citizens. He, like former Presidents, will write his memoirs to define his Legacy for history. He can start with the question I raised.

I know little about Jonathan Pollard, but have been impressed by his statements while in prison. While in the US Air Force during World War II as a Classification Specialist, I saw Personnel records of GI's, who were suspected of possible disloyalty, and were not to be cleared to receive classified material. I tried to learn how this information was obtained. I learned that the FBI had checked the records of those college students who attended Young Communist League Friday night dances on campus, and listed them as suspects for disloyalty. I, for the first time, questioned my government's behavior. Now 65 years later, I now question it again. I feel the government owes its citizens an explanation.

Julius Romanoff
PA, USA