Jonathan Pollard's Citizenship - Media Update

August 1, 1995

1. Jonathan Pollard learned, through reliable sources, that the Parole Commission is planning to use a 15-year set-aside when his case comes up for a hearing in September. This means that all further consideration of his release will be set aside for

another fifteen years!

2. That Jonathan's situation has been allowed to deteriorate to such a point is a clear indictment of

both the American Jewish leadership and the Government of Israel

3. After ten years of seeking Israeli citizenship through quiet channels and being refused for fear of "harming his chances," Jonathan realized that one of the few ways left to save himself was to apply officially, legally and publicly, for citizenship.

4. Israeli citizenship - alongside his American citizenship - confers upon Jonathan the protection of the Israeli Government and the rights of an Israeli citizen. It signals Israel's willingness to accept responsibility for him, and provides Israel with a legal basis for securing his release. It sends a clear message to the American Administration that Jonathan is not alone anymore.

5. At Jonathan's request, his wife, Esther, recently filed legal papers, duly executed by Jonathan, requesting Israeli citizenship. There is ample legal precedent, and Jonathan has a strong case.

6. Once the legal papers had been filed and Jonathan's wishes made known, he was shocked and outraged to learn that certain person claiming to operating on his behalf had begun a public disinformation campaign, through the media, to undermine his efforts.

For this reason, he fired his American lawyer, Nancy Luque, and the head of the Public Committee in Israel, Amnon Dror, and he disassociated himself from certain elements of the American Jewish leadership, including Seymour Reich.

Those who disagreed with Jonathan's initiative had every opportunity to discuss it with him before legal papers were filed. Once the papers were filed, their attempts to sabotage the initiative were intolerable. They were therefore dismissed.

They have not been reinstated. They will not be reinstated.

7. The high-profile, public discussion of this issue has caught the attention of the American Administration. Jonathan, therefore, stresses that it is now more critical than ever that Israeli citizenship be granted to him.

"Refusal of citizenship at this point," he said, "would be tantamount to throwing me out of the Embassy all over again - ten years later."