IMRA Background: After Oren Revelation, Failure to Secure Pollard Release Brings Shame to Netanyahu Administration

Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA - November 14, 2010

J4JP Preface

Justice4JP unequivocally calls for the release of Jonathan Pollard as a matter of simple justice, not as part of any deal that would weaken Israel or endanger other Jews in any way.
Nevertheless, it is shocking that Israel would even consider making a major gesture to the Americans at this time (such as re-implementing a building freeze) without first pulling Pollard out of harm's way.
Israel's continuing failure to demonstrate the most minimal responsibility for the fate of her agent is shocking particularly in light of all of the latest revelations of government malfeasance by both the US and Israel towards Pollard for the last 25 years.
If there is any American "incentive" to release Pollard as a gesture to Israel -- and a matter of simple justice -- it is particularly at a time when the US is negotiating with Israel for what it wants. Now is the time to secure Pollard's release, before any gestures are considered by Israel.
While IMRA takes this a step further, J4JP's recirculation of the following IMRA background item for the edification of readers should not be construed an the endorsement of any swap or deal for Pollard. Our position remains, now more than ever, Pollard must be freed as a matter of simple justice -- and he must be freed now.

IMRA Background: After Oren Revelation, Failure to Secure Pollard Release Brings Shame to Netanyahu Administration

Yitzhak Oren's shocking confirmation that for 25 years Israel intentionally did nothing to gain Jonathan Pollard's (see

Maariv Exclusive

) comes as Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu prepares to apparently have his cabinet approve a 90 day freeze extension.

PM Netanyahu visited America after the Korb revelations dramatically changed the release of Jonathan Pollard from a humanitarian question to a matter of simple justice.

There is absolutely no question that Pollard's release could have been included in the freeze extension deal.

We will probably know in the coming hours if he was.

If he wasn't - and the cabinet supports the deal - this will constitute a stain on the moral character of the entire cabinet.

The other elements of the American proposal are either temporary in nature (the promise to veto the creation of a Palestinian via the UN for a year is, in a way, Israel's acceptance that the U.S. won't stop such a move in another year!) or providing things Israel would receive in any event (there was an expectation of American security guarantees to bolster any deal with the Palestinians, for example).

Pollard's release is the one thing that could have been added to the mix that genuinely makes the offer a new development that can justify an extension.