"Barak Is Evading His Responsibility to Me" - Pollard

Ma'Ariv - September 8, 1999 - Schmuel Mittelman

Jonathan Pollard is accusing Prime Minister Barak of cutting all contact with him, of ignoring his needs, both medical and financial, and of neglecting to take any steps whatsoever to secure his release. Pollard has made all of these accusations in a petition filed in Supreme Court on his behalf by his attorney Larry Dub.

The Prime Minister's claim that he is "working quietly" for Pollard's release, is according to Pollard's petition "not credible." He also adds that there are, without a doubt, elements within the defense and the intelligence agencies, who for their own self-serving reasons, are actively working to undermine efforts to secure his release or to delay it. Pollard believes that there are officials within the national security establishment who want to supress the information in his intelligence service file which shows that the US knowingly withheld information from Israel about Syrian violations of the Disengagement Agreement with Israel.

Pollard claims that the Prime Minister's recent statements which describe Pollard as "an American internal problem" have fundamentally damaged his fight for freedom. Pollard is serving out his 14th year of a life sentence in an American prison for espionage on behalf of Israel.

In his petition, Pollard relies on a registered letter that was sent to his attorney on behalf of the government, by the Prime Minister's legal advisor Shimon Stein on May 11, 1998. In the letter, Stein confirms that Pollard was an Israeli agent and affirms the governments obligation towards him and its willingness to accept full responsibility for him.

Pollard says that because of this letter he agreed to drop his petition to the Supreme Court (which he had filed at that time.) He points out that former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu sent him a personal letter on the 14th of May which promises that "the State of Israel will continue to work tirelessly and dauntlessly" to bring him home.

According to Pollard, "Barak has cut all contact with me and my representatives. He has refused to update me or my attorney, particularly both before and after his recent talks in Washington. he has also evaded responsibility for securing medical assistance for me and for any financial support, most importantly for my legal expenses."

"My long and harsh incarceration has caused serious health problems, such as hypertension, glaucoma, diabetes, severe chronic arthritis, and others. A recent CAT-scan has revealed numerous growths in both of my sinus cavities. It is unknown whether these growths are malignant or benign. With every day that goes by my health continues to deteriorate, and my life is at risk. It is imperative to put an end to this tragic affair and to secure my immediate release," Pollard writes.