Ha'aretz - Opposed To Yellow Journalism?

November 3, 1996 - Charles Levine

To the Editor:

Dear Sir:

Your feature article on Jonathan and Esther Pollard, (Friday, November 1, 1996) was absolutely shameful!

At a time when all of us, everywhere, ought to be crying out for the release of Jonathan Pollard, the newspaper Ha'aretz decided, for reasons that are not clear, to provide a forum for distortions and non-issues such as who is not speaking to whom; and what people have to say against Jonathan's wife, Esther.

It would appear that your paper's own motto:

"One Good Paper That Stands Opposed To Yellow Journalism"

does

not

reflect the reality of Ha'aretz today.

The Ha'aretz reporter (Ronen Bergman) totally ignored all of the information I gave him in the light of my recent prison visit with Jonathan. I stressed that it is important to Jonathan that he himself direct the fight for his freedom from prison. Jonathan has chosen to be represented by his wife, Esther, and by his attorney, Larry Dub, and no one else.

Instead, the Ha'aretz reporter chose to relate a distorted and exaggerated version of a totally irrelevant incident that occurred in 1995, that portrayed me as being foolish, and Esther as harmful, which simply is not true. Moreover, I regard the reporter's misrepresentation of it being "Esther Pollard's suggestion" when he asked to interview me, as violating the most basic journalistic ethics, and a complete lie.

The America Intelligence community, and probably the Israeli one as well, are quite pleased with the fact that Jonathan Pollard is sitting in prison relatively quietly, as he has for 11 long harsh years now. For some strange reason, Ha'aretz has voluntarily allowed itself to be used as a tool of these agencies to create a picture that is not true, and that is very damaging.

I ask all readers to understand that this article simply does not reflect reality; and it does damage to this forsaken soul, Jonathan Pollard, a man who deserves to be free, home in Israel, with the wife he loves, Esther Pollard.

Charles Levine

Charles Levine is President and C.E.O. of C.L.C. Communications.


See Also:
1996:
  • Nov. 7: Jonathan Pollard Shares A Letter From His Wife
  • Nov. 13: Pollard's Attorney Delivers Reprimand to Ha'Aretz
  • Dec. 9: Jonathan Pollard Responds To Attacks On His Wife
  • Dec. 12: Pollard's Wife Is Not The Issue: His Grossly Excessive Sentence Is!
  • Dec. 13: Stop the New Round of Slander and Lies About Jonathan Pollard

    1997:


  • Jan. 2: Pollards Respond To 'Attacks' From Their Critics: Canadian Jewish News