Support Israeli Citizens' Yom Kippur Petition for Pollard!

Justice4JPnews - September 13, 2009

Background and Instructions:

In order to show solidarity with Jonathan Pollard, who is completing his 24th year in an American prison, Israeli citizens have initiated an online petition for Yom Kippur - the Jewish Day of Atonement. The petition and the names of all the signees will be relayed to Jonathan before Yom Kippur to give him a sense of what the Israeli public feels for him. Organizers hope that other non-Israelis will support the petition as a means of endorsing these sentiments to give Jonathan encouragement. Although the petition is written in Hebrew, everyone, everywhere, is urged to sign. Signing is easy and instructions are provided below for non-Hebrew readers. In addition, J4JP's English Translation of the petition follows the instructions below.

Don't read Hebrew? No problem! Here are instructions for signing the petition:

For English Speakers wanting to sign the Hebrew Petition:

  1. Go to the petition.

  2. Scroll down past all the Hebrew text to the signature box. You will recognize it as a large square box surrounded by broken lines.

  3. In the large signature box you will see 3 small rectangles, one underneath the other. Underneath all three of these rectangles, you will see one more large rectangle. Type your name (in English) into the first rectangle (it is the one that has a red asterisk to the right).All the other boxes are optional. You can ignore them and go straight to number 5 below!

  4. OR for those who insist in filling in all the rectangles: In the first one, type your name.
    In the second one, type your location. (City / State / Country) - OPTIONAL
    In the third, your email address. - OPTIONAL
    In the 4th and largest rectangle you can comment in English-up to 600 characters. - OPTIONAL

  5. Click on the red and white stamp (it appears on a diagonal underneath the largest rectangle in the signature box) and your information will be added to the petition.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF THE POLLARD YOM KIPPUR PETITION

To our dear brother, Jonathan Pollard!

As we approach Yom Kippur every one of us attempts to do a personal accounting - a Cheshbon HaNefesh - to recall if there is someone we may have hurt, to ask for forgiveness, to take upon ourselves to rectify our transgressions and to aspire to become a better person.

We are the citizens of Israel (and English-speaking friends). Even though you may not know us personally, you know and we all know that so many among us owe their lives to you.

We are ashamed that even after your 24 years of anguished affliction in an American prison, our government (the Government of Israel) has yet to take the most minimal steps for you, a bona fide Israeli agent, who served the State and worked for its security.

We hereby ask your forgiveness, in our own names, and in the name of our government - for not having moved Heaven and Earth for you with our outcry, and for not bringing appropriate pressure to bear upon the government to force them to work for your release -- and not leave a wounded soldier in the field.

We ask for your forgiveness for not understanding until now that every day that you continue to languish in prison, in effect, all of the People of Israel are in captivity as well. We promise, from now on, that we will not rest and we shall not be silent until we merit to greet you and your wife Esther at Ben Gurion Airport.

* * * * * * * *

Click here to sign the petition.

In addition, it is recommended that personal letters be written to Jonathan. Although he is prevented from responding, he does receive all his in-coming mail and he deeply appreciates it! These letters are his "oxygen"! Here is his address:

Jonathan Pollard #09185-016
c/o FCI Butner
P.O. Box 1000
Butner, NC
U.S.A 27509-1000

Feel free to share a copy of your letter with justice4jp@gmail.com.