Pollard Critical of American Jewish Groups

March 24, 1998 - The Jerusalem Post

Stepping up his campaign for freedom, convicted spy Jonathan Pollard took American Jews to task Tuesday for failing to fight the Clinton administration on his behalf.

Pollard sharply criticized the Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Congress and the American Jewish Committee during a visit Monday with Israeli Finance Minister Yaacov Neeman at the federal prison in Butner, N.C., where Pollard is incarcerated.

The U.S. administration "looked to them. They said nothing, they did nothing," Pollard said in remarks broadcast Tuesday on Israel radio. "They have my blood on their hands."

Pollard, a former U.S. naval analyst, is serving a life term for giving classified U.S. military documents to Israel. He wants Israel to recognize him as an agent to help win his release from prison.

Successive Israeli governments have disavowed Pollard, saying he acted without the knowledge of Israeli leaders.