Court Gives Government 60 Days To Resolve Case

Jerusalem - The first session of the Pollard Case hearing in the Supreme Court of Israel was held today in Jerusalem. Supreme Court Justices Theodore Orr, Dalia Dorner and Yaacov Tirkel presided over the closed hearing. Jonathan Pollard was represented by Larry Dub and Baruch Ben Yosef. Uzzi Fogelman, head Legal Appeals Department of the Government of Israel, represented the government. Mrs. Esther Pollard attended the hearing on behalf of her husband.

In its opening session the Court heard arguments concerning the Government's request to postpone the hearing for a period up to nine months in order to meet with Mr. Pollard's representatives and explore all possibilities of resolving the matter short of the court's intervention.

Pollard's attorneys objected strenuously to the request and reminded the court that there have been 13 years of meetings, that Mr. Pollard's situation is critical, and that such a long postponement is simply not tolerable.

After deliberating on the matter, the Justices granted the Government a period of not more than 60 days to resolve the case without the Court's intervention. Presiding Justice Theodore Orr admonished the Government to use the postponement judiciously and expressed the hope that the matter would be fully resolved before the 60 days elapse.

In a press conference following the session, Mrs. Pollard expressed satisfaction that the court had sent a very clear message to the government that it had better get down to business and do what it has to do to seek Jonathan's release. She noted that the only way that the case can be resolved is Pollard's immediate release and return to Israel before the 60 days elapse.