Jonathan's Mailbag: A Warm Hug From Jerusalem

J4JPnews - January 28, 2009

To: Jonathan Pollard #09185-016
P.O. Box 1000 Butner, NC
U.S.A 27509-1000

From: Johan in Jerusalem
[Written 22 January 2009; mailed 27 January 2009]

Dear Jonathan,

It is a privilege to write to you. Likewise it was an honor to join in the final push to get you pardoned. Being Dutch I forwarded the pardon letter to Bush to a large group of people In Holland.

Tonight I heard the outcome: no pardon.

I am very, very sorry about this outcome.

When Bush was here last year I thought that he would have you with him. I took part in the demonstration when the Paris Square was renamed after you. Your wife and many others spoke beautifully.

It seems that many things go wrong:

  • My wife and I went in August 2005 into Gush Katif. We firmly believed that the expulsion would not take place. But it did

  • I fought for the pardon of the Halamish brothers. Also a very strong case, but it was also a "no".

  • Olmert should have left already long ago his office in view of all the corruption. But he did not

  • In my view Israel fought an almost perfect war in Gaza and Hamas could easily have been beaten - I do not mean that is was easy, but the elimination of Hamas was at hand - but it has been stopped, .that too was not as it should have been.

  • The friendly fire incidents were very tragic. I hope you read that a father said at the burial of his lost son that he forgave the soldier who had killed his son and invited him to be his mishpacha [family].

    [J4JP: this exceptional father was Amos Natanel, father of Yehonatan Natanel, who,in life, shared the same davening name as Jonathan: Yehonatan ben Malka. His mother, Malka Natanel made a heartfelt plea to President Shimon Peres to act to free Jonathan when he visited the shiva house for her son.]

  • A ceasefire is made and no demand for the release of Gilad

    How are we to view all these sad situations ?

    I do not know.

    But I do believe in the Almighty who holds the whole world in His hand. I therefore believe that these sad situations will work out for good. I therefore call these situations not bad, because the Almighty is good. To me these situations quicken the coming of the Messiah. The world tramples on something which is very precious to the Almighty, I would say that is the Almighty Himself: Justice.

    I believe that time for this fundamentally unjust world is running out...

    After I had read the letter about your sad news I read Bereshit Chapters 49 and 50. Chapter 49: 18 struck me: When I translate the Dutch translation, it says: "I wait for your salvation, o LORD." I can shout that out. All mankind should do that. My English translation reads: "I look for your deliverance, o LORD." I am speechless.

    Jonathan, I embrace you.

    A warm hug from Jerusalem,
    Johan