A Self-Serving Sham: "Rubinstein Discusses Pollard With Reno"

November 17, 1997

A recent JTA news item (Nov. 11, 1997) reveals A.G. Rubinstein's self-serving sham in Washington:

"...Israel's attorney general asked his U.S. counterpart to free Jonathan Pollard, who is serving a life sentence for spying for Israel. Elyakim Rubinstein brought the message to U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno just as Yuli Edelstein, the Israeli minister of absorption, was trying to arrange a meeting with Pollard..."

The Attorney General of Israel may be successful at deceiving the public he is supposed to be serving, but this vain and empty gesture did not fool the Americans, or any other knowledgeable person.

By raising the issue of Jonathan Pollard in a very public manner, in the wrong place, at the wrong time, with an American official who has neither the authority nor the possibility to effect any change in the sentence of Jonathan Pollard, Rubinstein signaled to the Americans a very clear lack of serious intent.

The fact that Pollard was a secondary issue on Rubinstein's agenda underscored even more forcefully that there was no serious intent on the part of the government of Israel to do anything for Pollard. But one does not have to be a rocket scientist to see how discussing the Pollard issue might be a "sweetner" for the distasteful Sheinbeim Case which was the Attorney General's number one item on the agenda with Janet Reno.

Jonathan Pollard's petition is still before the courts in Israel. Rubinstein's name is linked with the case, in very unflattering terms. Could it be that this Washington sham is just an attempt to create positive P.R. to deflect guilt?

The Litmus test of the Israeli Government's serious intent is very clear: Jonathan Pollard home. Period.

When the government is serious, you will see Jonathan free, and then you will read about it in the news. But as long as the news leaks occur first, you can write it off and know that it's just another in a series of empty gestures and public posturing for self-serving reasons.