Editorial: Was Pollard Used as a Pawn?

The Jewish Voice [NY] - August 5, 2015

Jonathan Pollard has been rotting in a federal prison for the past 29 years [30 in November] after being convicted for being an Israeli spy. No doubt about that. He will be paroled on November 20th of this year. There has been no evidence to suggest that he placed American lives in peril in spying for Israel, our own nation's most reliable partner. But we see clearly now that Pollard was kept in prison by Obama to be eventually used as a pawn to salve the Jewish state's resentment and anger at his evident hostile behavior towards Israel.

There had to be an eventual rupture of our government's relationship with Obama once he entered office in 2008 and it's clear that Pollard would be the pawn used by him to "give a little" to the Jewish voters who flocked to the polls to support his presidency. How else to cement relations with a group who would surely resent Obama's anti-Israel behavior?

Jews are quick to accept such droppings of feigned warmth. And the recent Iranian deal was the perfect setting to give something to Israel to sort of pat them on their head and make nice. That's where Pollard came in to the picture. You can imagine the liberal press fawning over Obama's caring nature and his love for Israel when Pollard walks out of prison.

But there was no 29 years of imprisonment for ten Russian sleeper agents caught in this country who were living as American citizens while supplying Russia with material that might have resulted in the deaths of our spies overseas. No information as to the damage they had done to our nation has been released by this administration. These agents were quickly removed from prison in 2010 and sent back home to Russia in great physical shape, unlike Pollard. Russia, unlike Israel, has been hostile to this country since the end of WWII. Russia could hardly be called an ally of the United States.

As well, imprisoned Muslim terrorists from Guantanamo have been released to fight again and kill American troops fighting Islamic terror. No qualms from Obama about the harm these savages have and will cause to our Western civilization. Why hadn't Pollard been given the same red carpet treatment and merely handed over to Israel years ago.

But there is a catch to the carrot and stick game Obama is playing with Israel. Under the terms of his parole towards the end of this year, Pollard cannot leave this country for five years. He will not be permitted to live in Israel for this period of time as a sign to Israel that the president still has Pollard under his control and any time Israel doesn't play ball with him the pawn in this game can be returned to a federal prison for "any violation of his parole terms." No such rules for Communist spies and Muslim terrorists. Why do we play hard ball only with Israel? Good question.

View original article.


See Also: