Letter To Ambassador Elissar from Jonathan Pollard

December 16, 1996

Ambassador Eliahu Ben Elissar
3514 International Drive
Washington, D.C. 20008
U.S.A.

Dear Ambassador Elissar:

On December 3, 1996, I sent you a letter by courier (copy follows) requesting that you undertake two very reasonable initiatives. I asked that AIPAC be instructed to send a copy of a recent op-ed by Eli Wiesel (copy follows) to each Jewish member of the House of Representatives and the Senate, along with a cover letter asking these individuals to join the Government of Israel in calling for my release.

I also implored you to meet with me before Christmas so that you might convey a personal message of remorse from me directly to President Clinton.

Given Israel's constant assertions that it is committed to seeking my release, and given the current government's legally binding obligation to seek my immediate release (as per the Government Guidelines), as well as the Prime Minister's personal and public promises to my wife, Esther and to our rabbi, Ha'Rav Mordecai Eliahu, Shlita,

these two requests are really the bare minimum that Israel can and should do if indeed the government's commitment to securing my release is genuine

On December 5, 1996, a member of your staff at the Embassy called our Justice for Jonathan Pollard office in Toronto to authenticate my letter of December 3rd as described above. He was assured by our office that the letter and signature were indeed my own and that the letter had been conveyed through my wife Esther, whose phone number he was given.

It is now December 16. The Christmas target date (the traditional time for clemency and pardons) now looms large, and I have not received the courtesy of a reply from you.

As a citizen of the State of Israel, as a bona fide Israeli agent, who has already spent 12 years in an American prison on behalf of Israel, I do not think it is unreasonable to expect that my Ambassador will extend himself immediately to fulfill the above two very modest requests.

A visit from you can be arranged literally overnight with the prison authorities (and Butner is only a short commuter flight from Washington via Raleigh/Durham). Therefore there is ample time for a visit to take place well in advance of Christmas if you are willing.

Please indicate your intentions to my wife, Esther. Her phone number is as above

Jonathan Pollard

Note:

This letter to the Ambassador was signed by Jonathan Pollard himself in his own hand.

The Embassy has not extended the courtesy of a reply.