Jonathan Pollard Letter to Israeli Official

Aaron Lerner - IMRA Exclusive - September 2, 2000

Jonathan Pollard's letter to an Israeli official explaining why he had to turn to Hillary Clinton to save his life is reproduced below.

It explains the background behind Hillary Clinton's intervention to save Jonathan Pollard from being transferred to a violent and life-threatening unit of the American prison where he is serving a life sentence on behalf of Israel.

Mr. Moshe Kochanovsky, the recipient of the letter, was appointed by Prime Minister Barak to head the Israeli Government team which is responsible for all matters pertaining to Jonathan Pollard.

Dear Mr. Kochnovsky

As you are well aware, I was slated to be transferred to a hostile and violent unit in the prison. I approached you to request the assistance of the Israeli Government in assuring my continued security in prison.

Rather than act on my behalf, you collaborated with the Americans, believed their lies, and gave me false assurances that the transfer was not life-threatening.

Since the Government of Israel would not help, my wife and I were forced to fight the prison transfer on our own. It was a difficult thing to do without official assistance. Nevertheless, our determined efforts resulted in a number of American legislators and prominent persons - including Hillary Clinton - contacting the Bureau of Prisons, to protest my transfer. Only Israel failed to protest the danger to my life.

Permit me to reiterate what I wrote to you on August 27, 2000:

"Over the last 15 years of my incarceration, Israel has failed to protest my being held in a facility for the criminally insane, my being held incommunicado and deprived of my clothes and glasses for months on end, my incarceration 3 stories underground in a dungeon cell in solitary confinement where the extremes of temperature were brutal, and the rats and mice feasted in the darkness.

Now, your letter to me indicates that you accept the lies of the American Justice Department over my first-hand experience. Instead of protesting my transfer to a life-threatening environment, I get a letter from you telling me how reasonable the Americans are being and implying that I should cooperate with my own demise, G-d forbid.

Mr. Kochanovsky, you had better pray that you never end up in a situation like me, and needing help from someone like you."

The record of the Israeli Government and your team on the Pollard case is an affront to decency. The complete lack of social and moral responsibility that has been shown in my case brings no honor to the State and the people of Israel.

(signed)
Jonathan Pollard