B'nai B'rith Disappointed That President Clinton Will Not Commute Jonathan Pollard's Sentence

July 26, 1996

B'nai B'rith is disappointed that President Clinton decided today to deny clemency to Jonathan Pollard who has been in prison since 1985 for delivering national defense information to Israel.

"Although President Clinton has shown himself to be a man deeply committed to human rights, the continued imprisonment of Jonathan Pollard is contrary to the President's record on humanitarian issues," said Tommy P. Baer, international president of B'nai B'rith.

"While B'nai B'rith does not in any way condone the actions of Jonathan Pollard and the betrayal of trust placed upon him by the United States government, we nonetheless urge the President to reconsider his decision," said Baer.

B'nai B'rith has sent several letters to President Clinton and former President George Bush seeking a pardon for Pollard, a former U.S. Navy intelligence analyst. In 1994 and in 1992 B'nai B'rith members passed resolutions calling for Pollard's release.