Pollard to Olmert: Guilty!

Tal Yamin Wolfowitz - Maariv NRG - October 19, 2006

[Translated to English by Justice4JP]

Jonathan Pollard who is serving a life sentence in the United States after being convicted of espionage, is pointing an accusing finger at the Prime Minister of Israel, "you bear a personal responsibility for the years of affliction I have endured in prison", Pollard wrote in a letter he relayed via an Israeli consul who came to visit him.

In his letter Pollard bases his claims on the actions of the prime minister in recent years, and among other things he underscores Olmert's role as a member of the Eban Commission, the Knesset committee which investigated the "Pollard affair."

"You have been instrumental in prolonging my agony for more than 2 decades", Pollard wrote to Olmert. "You had direct access to all of the information. There was so much you could have done right from the start to help me. Instead for 21 years you have shunned me; you have avoided saying or doing anything that might help; and you have dissuaded anyone who wanted to help from doing so." Pollard also stated that not only did the prime minister do nothing to help, he also took a position and withheld information which may have been critical to helping to secure Pollard's release.

The imprisoned Israeli agent pointed out in his letter that the meeting which is being planned for next month between the prime minister and the president of the United States, George Bush, is a golden opportunity to rectify past sins. Pollard wrote, "[In Washington] it is not only my freedom that is at stake; the lives of all of Israel's captives and MIAs depend on your willingness to act forthrightly and with honor in the nation's best interests."

"The Prime Minister is completely eradicating Pollard."

In his letter Pollard writes painfully that Olmert has been ignoring his existence, ever since he was elected as prime minister. "Even as recently as two days ago, at the inaugural winter session of the Knesset you read out the names of all of Israel's captives and spoke of Israel's dedication to their swift and safe return home," Pollard wrote, "my name was not on the list." Pollard chose to conclude his letter with a request "to end this dishonorable policy of abandonment."

"The prime minister is not only abandoning Pollard, but also eradicating his very existence," a source close to the Israeli agent told Maariv NRG. "I don't believe that there is anyone in the world who can even begin to imagine what it must feel like to be in prison for more than 20 years, surrounded by murderers, pedophiles and rapists, and to know that the only reason you are there is because of activities that you carried out in the service of the State of Israel."

The Committee to Bring Jonathan Pollard home pointed out, in comparison (to the harsh treatment and grossly disproportionate sentence Pollard is serving), the recent sentencing of an American citizen, Ronald Montaperto, by an American court, to a mere 3 months in prison for passing classified information to the Chinese over a very long period of time.