Netanyahu and Barak Join Forces on Pollard

Jerusalem, July 30, 1998 - Media Release

First lady Sara Netanyahyu and Navah Barak, wife of the opposition leader are among the signees of a letter to US President Clinton calling for the release of Israeli agent Jonathan Pollard. The letter, which is to be publicly presented to the American Ambassador Ed Walker to relay to the president, is the initiative of the wives of the Israeli cabinet ministers, spearheaded by Tatanya Edelstein (wife of Immigration Minister Yuli Edelstein) and Judy Nir Moses (wife of Science Minister Silvan Shalom).

Because of the urgency of Pollard's current situation, Edelstein and Nir Moses called an emergency meeting of high profile political wives which was held in Nir Moses's home in Tel Aviv, Wednesday, July 29, 1998. Esther Pollard, wife of Jonathan Pollard addressed the 30 women who braved the extreme heat and humidity to travel from all parts of the country to attend the meeting at very short notice. Tatanya Edelstein and Avital Sharansky addressed the gathering as well, speaking as wives of former prisoners. Mrs.Dani Naveh, wife of the Cabinet Secretary, spoke movingly on behalf of her husband, reaffirming the government's absolute determination to secure the speedy release of Jonathan Pollard, and his return home to Israel.

Rabbi Moshe Ben Tov, renown kabbalist, famous for expertise in mezzuzoht, presented Esther Pollard with a mezzuzah and a blessing that he would soon personally come to their home to hang the mezzuzah. The Rabbi's son who made the presentation at the meeting pointed out that this the same mezzuzah and the same blessing that Rabbi Ben Tov gave to Prime Minister Netanyahu on the eve of the Israeli elections. The meeting concluded with the expressed determination of the wives to continue to work both publicly and privately to bring Jonathan Pollard home to Israel at once.